


Causes Stain, Stay Away

by aoi_para



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Angst, Class Differences, Class System, Drama, M/M, Psychological Drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-17
Packaged: 2017-11-22 22:41:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 19
Words: 103,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/615174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aoi_para/pseuds/aoi_para
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Living in a world that is divided into strict classes, doing the right thing is often very hard, because the right thing could cause you to lose rank. Too bad doing the wrong thing can do that to you too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted elsewhere, but I'm putting it up here because my friend requested me to. I started this work 4 or so years ago and will be putting it up over the next several days, probably as I start editing each chapter to catch typos that were missed. I usually have author's notes for my chapters, but they'll be absent until I catch up to the most recent chapters on here.

Crimson diluted in the rapidly cooling water, fading to pink as it was sucked down the drain. What had once been unbearable heat beating down now felt like daggers of ice, cutting deep into the blond sitting beneath the flow of water. The body remained stationary on his side, sapphire eyes half-lidded and lifeless. A searing pain stretched up his lower half, a pain he was learning to get used to.

He would have cried, but it wasn't the first time, and he was now figuring out that it wouldn't be the last time either. He wouldn't cry. He couldn't cry. He had only so much pride to cling onto, and he would. He would be strong, and he would refuse to let this get to him.

But he remained lifeless on the cold tile floor, allowing the spears of icy water to stab into his muscles. There wasn't enough energy left in his small frame to get up and move. His breaths were shallow as he tried to regain some semblance of self. He'd just been violated for the third time in a month and was having a hard time believing that he was worth anything more than a good fuck. And to top it off, each time it had been a different man.

He took a deep, shuddering breath before pushing himself up. Slowly, he got to his feet and limped his way to the shower room exit. He grabbed a dry towel before gently drying himself off and pulling himself into his Regulation Army Cadet uniform. He cringed at the simple thought of just what he'd have to endure for being late to field training. Running extra laps was not appealing in this state, but he couldn't say anything or he'd be called weak.

Final examinations had taken place just last week to see who would make it into the army and who wouldn't. ShinRa was very adamant about only having the best of the best in the Regulation Army and SOLDIER. He had tested in the top ten in his class in the field trials, but that wasn't what he was worried about.

No. Cloud Strife was worried about the DNA test results that would be coming back any day now. If anything came back on it that was even remotely suspicious, he wouldn't make it into the army. He would be forced to return back home to the mountains and live in shame. He would never move up in the world. He would be pushed around like a whore if he didn't pass this test.

Slowly but surely, Cloud left the locker room. He took off jogging with a noticeable limp that he hoped would work itself out before he got to the field. Unfortunately it didn't, and the other cadets and his commanding officer looked at him strangely as he entered the field.

"Nice of you to join us, Strife. Would you care to explain why you're late?" the Sergeant barked, causing Cloud to stop and stiffen in place, his hand moving to salute his commanding officer.

"Sir, I'm sorry, sir! I tripped and fell down the stairs on my way here from the showers. I thought I had broken my leg and didn't move until someone passing by helped me," Cloud answered, keeping his voice steady. He couldn't tell the truth, and sneaking a look to his classmates told him that they all wanted to start laughing.

"Are you alright, Cadet?" the Sergeant asked.

"No sir. I'm fine. I'll just be black for a while, sir," Cloud said, shifting slightly to ease the pain in his lower back.

"Get in line, Cadet. This could have cost you any chance of passing. Seven miles after the others are dismissed," the Sergeant barked. Cloud straightened again, fear rippling down his aching spine, and hurried into line. Seven miles. At least he was getting off easy this time. Seven miles was better than anything he would receive for turning in his rapists. The sergeant sent everyone off on their warm-up run, a two mile run around the ShinRa compound. Cloud ran, as fast as he could despite the pain but was still coming up short. He pushed forward, however. It wasn't proper form to give up over such minor injuries.

When everyone had finished their laps, Cloud coming in much farther behind than he normally did, they headed off to the training fields for their last training sessions as cadets. That night all three groups of cadets would be gathering to find out the results of the tests. Everyone was a little apprehensive of the scores, but no one more than Cloud. Everything was riding on him getting this position. He refused to be reduced to what some other people in his class had to do to get by.

He stepped onto the training grounds carefully and picked up a sword from the rack. No cadet was allowed to have their own weapon, but Cloud knew that many kept knives and other paraphernalia hidden in their bunks. Cloud didn't risk it, though. He had to get in, no matter what. Midgar wasn't exactly the kindest place to people of his class.

Cloud sparred with his usual training partner—Cadet Hanmar, Class C1. Cloud wasn't exactly friends with the older teen, but he'd had no choice but to put up with him. Hanmar was one of the people involved in his rapings. If he protested in the least, anything could happen. The blond cadet wasn't focusing on the battle and was thrown back, his sword clattering to the earth far away.

"Geez, Strife. You're such a wimp. I don't even know how you made it this far," Hanmar taunted from his spot in the ring. Cloud grumbled, slowly picking himself up from the ground. He fetched his sword quickly. They wouldn't be training with their swords for much longer since it was an unfavorable weapon for the Regulation Army. Swords were left to the SOLDIERs. Guns were the preferred weapons of the army.

Cloud was thrown again, pain and distraction taking over him once again. The pain in his lower back crawled up his spine with alarming speed. When the blond moved to stand. Tears started to prick his eyes from the pain, but he stubbornly refused to let them out. He had his pride. The sergeant was barking for everyone to put their equipment away so they could head to the shooting gallery. Cloud attempted to stand again, but stopped when the pain shot up again with new vigor. When the sergeant realized that Cloud wasn't with the rest of the group, he sent them on, storming back to find the boy.

"Cadet, just what are you doing on the floor?" he barked, anger clear on his features.

"I'm sorry sir. I think I was thrown wrong. My back hurts, sir," Cloud answered, his voice quieter than he'd have liked it to be.

"You back hurts? Aren't you a little priss. Get the fuck up now before I throw you out of the program," the sergeant yelled. Cloud shifted again, managing to pull himself up halfway before the pain became too unbearable to go farther and he fell forward. He caught himself just in time to avoid falling face down on the sergeant's shoes.

"Sir, I don't think I can stand," the blonde gasped.

"Can't even fucking stand? And how do I know you aren't faking? You've been slacking off this last month, Strife. You'll be dismissed if this is another stunt," the sergeant grumbled, shaking his head.

"Sir, this place is all I have to look forward to. I wouldn't lie," Cloud said, attempting to stand once more. The sergeant sighed and grabbed the teen's arm, yanking him to his feet.

"If you can't walk, then I'll believe you," the man said, frustrated. Cloud took a few hesitant steps, cringing as the pain continued to shoot. He stumbled and refused to walk any further. The sergeant sighed, shaking his head. "You're going to the medical unit. You're in no shape to train today, Strife."

"No, sir. Please. Just send me back to my bed. I'll be fine tomorrow! I swear!" Cloud said, beginning to panic. The medical unit was close to the science labs, and that was one of the scariest places in the ShinRa compound.

"Strife, a back injury is serious. Having something like that can bump your class down." The sergeant took Cloud by the shoulders and forcefully pushed the boy towards the medical building. Cloud winced, not liking the pain that decided to shoot up his spine. He cringed and pushed back, fighting the Sergeant with what strength he had.

"Sir, please. I can't go there," Cloud cried, distress dripping from his words. The sergeant growled, scooping Cloud up into his arms.

"If you're this desperate to not go, then you're obviously hiding something. We're going and that's final, Cadet." The sergeant moved swiftly for the compounds, ignoring the cadet in his arms. When they reached the medical unit, he dropped the boy in a chair in the waiting area and headed to the desk. He signed the boy in and gave explicit instructions to the receptionist not to let the boy out and to report all abnormalities to him. Swiftly, the sergeant left to attend to the other cadets that were probably running a rampage at the shooting gallery.

Cloud curled up into himself on the chair. The position was ever painful, but he at least felt somewhat safer. The medical ward wasn't exactly the friendliest of places, nor safest feeling. There were army men and SOLDIERs littering the waiting room. Cloud could only pick out maybe one or two that would be lower priority than him and shivered. He didn't want to stay. What if they called him back and found out about his rape during the examination? He pulled his legs closer to his forehead.

One by one, the others in the room were called to be examined. There was a SOLDIER with bloody knuckles, another that had to be wheeled in on a wheelchair because of a sickly twisted leg. There was a regulation officer that came in, carried by a few of his subordinates, that was bleeding profusely from the chest. By that point there had only been Cloud and four others left in the room, two of which he was sure were below him in priority.

Slowly, three of the others in the room were called back. When Cloud was finally called back, he'd been there for at least four hours and personnel were still scrambling to save the army officer's life. They had forced Cloud into a wheelchair to take him back to the patient room. Once he was situated on his own again, he curled back up, drawing his knees up as far as they could go. He didn't like the people touching him so much; it unnerved him.

After a few moments the doctor entered the room, a thin written file in his hands. He took a seat on the other side of the room and leafed through the few pages listed there before turning to a computer monitor. Quickly, he pulled up Cloud's files and shifted through them more thoroughly. Finally he turned back to Cloud.

"Good afternoon, Cadet. I'm Doctor Wörnhör. According to the sergeant in charge of your training today, you seem to be having trouble with your lower back and walking?" Cloud simply nodded. "We'll cart you in for immediate x-ray. Please strip down and go through that door when you're done," the doctor said, motioning to a door on the opposite wall as the exit.

"No," Cloud said simply, shaking his head.

"What? You can't just say no to this. I can have you expelled from the program if you refuse to cooperate," the doctor snapped.

"I refuse to get undressed," Cloud stated simply. The doctor gave Cloud a pensive look before standing and walking over to the boy.

"You are in the Regulation Army as a cadet. You should be used to nudity around others. Strip now and head in to get x-rayed," the doctor said sternly.

"You're different than they are. They're young, like me," Cloud said quietly.

"You will get undressed or I'll have it done by force," the doctor commanded.

"Please don't make me," Cloud said, pulling his legs against himself tightly. The doctor scowled and grabbed Cloud's arm, wrenching it away from his body. The teen's eyes went wide and he jerked the arm back. "Don't touch me!" he snapped, curling back into himself. The doctor didn't give up, grabbing Cloud by the shoulder this time, yanking him towards the edge of the examination bed. This moved Cloud the wrong way, causing him to recoil on his injured back. The blond winced but continued to fight. Finally the doctor had enough and reached for a needle containing sedatives under the bed and stabbed Cloud in the leg with it.

The teen continued to struggle until he was no longer conscious enough to do it. Fitfully, and reluctantly, he fell asleep, fearing for his body and his future position in ShinRa.

-.-.-.-

Cloud was floating in a black haze, shifting between trying to regain consciousness and staying asleep. After all he'd been through over the last month and more, he wanted to stay asleep. The need to get up and make something of himself was pulling him back to reality, though. Cloud finally was pulled irreversibly back to the land of the functioning by a voice.

"His urine samples were clean. He wasn't faking anything. He has a hairline fracture on one his lower vertebra and pulled the muscles on his inner thigh. There is some minor bruising in the region, but none of these should hinder his army career. His DNA results and his physical capabilities have qualified him for promotion from Class C4 to Class C3, but it will take a long time to go through with his injury. We will have to wait until he heals and see if he can still do as much.

"I want him in a brace and to take it easy for the next couple of weeks. And beyond that, I highly suggest that you send him to the Psychiatric Department twice a week. Believe me when I say it might do him some good," the voice said, obviously the doctor that had treated Cloud. The blonde slowly cracked his eyes open and looked to see the sergeant standing there paying half attention to the doctor.

"I'll try my best to get him the rest he needs, but why the psychologists?"

"I believe that will be up to the Cadet to tell the shrink. All I know is that some of the injuries sustained look suspicious. He'll talk to them eventually, and when he does only then can anything be put to rest."

"Alright," said the sergeant, nodding. "I believe Strife is waking up, so I should get him back to the barracks. I'll arrange for his appointment first thing tomorrow." The doctor nodded and exited the room. After a moment, the sergeant moved to Cloud and shook his shoulder. Cloud pulled away the best he could, but the affect of the drug was too much. "The dinner is in thirty minutes, but I don't think you'll be able to go. I'm sorry Strife. However, you have passed. With flying colors, I might add. Now let's get you back to the barracks. The other boys should already be assembling at the mess hall."

Cloud nodded dully, allowing himself to be pulled up. He felt boneless and very much didn't like the feeling, but he didn't fight it. It was useless to fight it. He would only get hurt more in the end. Slowly, the sergeant worked Cloud into a wheelchair and took him back to the cadet barracks. He helped move Cloud onto the blond's bed.

"You'll have to move out in about a week and into the actual army barracks. Be prepared," the sergeant said before turning to leave for the dinner. Cloud pulled himself under the covers of his bed and curled back into himself. He didn't want to miss the dinner, but he also didn't want to risk encountering his peers after going missing the whole day. It was just too hard for him to fit in with this crowd. The majority of the cadets this round were Class C1 and C2, making Cloud and the few other lower C classes feel intimidated. However, Cloud's looks separated him from the other C3s and C4s. He'd thought the advances were harmless until about a month prior when he'd been attacked the first time.

But Cloud had to push those thoughts away into the far corner of his mind. He had to remind himself of why he was here and why he couldn't let class status get in the way of what he needed to do to survive in the world. His mother was depending on him getting this job. He had to prove to Nibelheim that he was worth more than a dirty whore's bastard child, because he was. His mother was no whore by profession, despite the fact that everyone said she was. And he knew damn well what his father's name was.

The thoughts were weighing heavily on his mind, not allowing the blond to sleep. However, after being knocked out, Cloud didn't want to sleep much more anyway. So he stayed unmoving, letting his thoughts war over his self-worth.

-.-.-.-.-

"You do know why you're here, right, Cloud?" The psychiatrist asked, sitting back in his chair and crossing his legs. Cloud remained silent, not looking the man in the eye. "You're here because there were signs of rough and possibly nonconsensual sex on your body." Again, Cloud refused to speak, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them.

"All we need to know today is if it was consensual or not, Cloud. ShinRa wishes to keep all of its employees both physically and mentally healthy. I can't guarantee that ShinRa will keep you on if you refuse to answer and we notice more odd behavior from you in the future." The blond boy remained unmoving, his eyes staring unfocused at a plant across the room. The psychiatrist sighed, shaking his head.

"If this is indeed nonconsensual, we can work together to put him away, or at least get him reprimanded. The charge for raping a C class isn't much. Two years at most, a year of community service in the least, but that is if the victim is over eighteen. You're still fifteen, no? The charge jumps to a maximum of two and a half years and a minimum of six months if they are C class or lower."

Cloud remained silent, causing the psychiatrist to sigh exasperatedly again. The man looked at Cloud with cold eyes, not liking the attitude he was getting. Slowly the man turned to his desk and up Cloud's written file. "Look, Cloud, if you still refuse to talk by the end of the month, ShinRa'll have to let you go. We can't have an un-helpable in its ranks. And if that does happen, I'll be forced to recommend you to be moved down to class D3. And if that happens, and you were raped, then you will find it very hard to find any help at all."

The blonde gripped his legs tighter, putting his head face down on his knees. No. He didn't need this. He didn't need any of this. He just needed to be left alone. He would heal. He would heal. Nothing would affect him if he tried hard enough. He had to steel himself. This would have to be no different than steeling himself to murdering people in times of war. He had to do it to keep moving on.

The psychiatrist sighed again, "Alright, Cloud. If you're going to stay quiet, then you may go. But I want you back here again tomorrow at the same time. You are to come everyday until you talk. After that, we'll change to twice a week. Keep in mind, Cloud, all that's at stake for not talking. Do you really want to throw everything you've worked hard for this past year to go to waste? Think hard on it. I'll see you tomorrow."

Cloud slowly rose, avoiding looking at the psychiatrist at all costs. As he made his way sluggishly through the psychiatric ward, he glanced at the other people waiting. It was customary for all workers to be psychologically examined before a promotion was enacted fully. People also came in at least twice a year in the Regulation army, and once a month in SOLDIER. The others from his cadet group were scheduled to come in later in the afternoon. The higher priority patients had appointments in the morning.

Cloud took note that there were several of the well known Soldiers there—the heroes of SOLDIER. He stopped, however, when a tall figure walked past him and into the room he'd just exited, not believing his eyes. He looked back at the door, trying to see through it. If he'd just seen correctly, that had been the General. The General. Sephiroth was going in to see a psychiatrist, not a psychologist. The man was in a class of his own—S1, the highest class attainable and the only one to ever have it since it was created especially for him.

After a few moments of staring, Cloud regained enough sense and began walking again. He had things he had to do involving moving. He was going from one barrack to another in a relatively short amount of time and he needed to talk to his commanding officers. He had missed the dinner last night and therefore did not know what he was entering the army as and where he would be housed. ShinRa kept the ranks obsessively organized. People were sorted into living arrangements by their job first, then position, then finally by class.

But Sephiroth was still on his mind. The beautiful but deadly creature had gone to the same psychiatrist that he was being forced to see. The man was obviously the most important and powerful man on the face of Gaia, yet he and Sephiroth were sharing the same psychiatrist. Did that mean that they were giving Cloud a higher priority than he had originally thought, or perhaps that Sephiroth had wanted to play down his visits with someone used for lower ranks? Whatever the reason, it had Cloud puzzled enough to almost walk right past his destination.


	2. Chapter 2

" _You know, it's not like turning us in will do you any good. You know you really want this, anyways."_

Cloud retched over the toilet bowl, gripping it tightly. He spilled the contents of his stomach, which wasn't much as he hadn't eaten yet. When he was sure he was done, he pulled back and headed over the sink to wash up. He had to hurry to be ready in time.

" _Besides, what can two years do to us? It's not justice; it's a joke."_

He turned on the faucet, dunking his hands under and lifting water to his face. He scrubbed viciously to remove all evidence. Once his face was practically rubbed raw, he stopped and dried it. Next, he grabbed for his toothbrush and toothpaste from his toiletry kit. Cloud took his sweet time there, making sure he got every nook and cranny of his mouth, spit, rinsed his brush, and loaded it up again. It just didn't feel clean, even after a second scrub. He grabbed some mouthwash and tried that.

" _You know that girl that took her case to court few weeks back? The guy that did her got_  fifteen  _years because she was a Class B1."_

He didn't have time for a shower, nor did he want one. He'd moved into his new barracks just a week prior and found that little had changed. Three out of the five people involved in his rapes were put in the infantry as privates, and the other two were put two hallways down to train with the new, experimental Chocobo mounted unit. But the guys he had to live with all still stared at him. Some had lustful gazes while others simply looked at him with disapproval.

" _Look, either suck me off or you're gonna be fucked up the ass by two cocks instead of one."_

ShinRa had given him a week off, but he had to stay on base. He had been given the job of filing and organizing papers while the rest of his unit was getting to know each other. His back and muscles healed over that period of time, but it took longer than he'd hoped it would have. Class C personnel weren't allowed to use Cure and Restore material, and as a result Cloud had been issued a potion to take slowly over the course of a few days to heal and deaden any pain. His back hurt now but there wasn't any potion left.

" _Fuck, Strife. You're good. Ever thought of being a whore? I think you'd be better at that better than an infantryman."_

ShinRa decided that since Cloud was still showing no improvement and lacking cooperation that they'd send him to spend a few days in town at a four star hotel during the Fall Festival. They'd give him a temporary psychiatrist that wasn't associated with ShinRa and a new set of street clothes.

The blonde teen slowly tugged on the only street clothes he had—the clothes he'd come to ShinRa in. They were too small now, but the jeans and black T-shirt were his only option unless he'd wanted to go in his ShinRa uniform. The pants were snug on his hips, almost too tight for him to sit in and definitely a little too uncomfortable with his already aching back. The bottom of his jeans barely met his ankles since he'd only grown about an inch since leaving home. His shirt clung to him like a second skin.

He got a few catcalls from the guys in his barrack as he gathered up his suitcase. He hadn't talked to them at all. Since he'd actually been violated the first time, he had clammed up to most people. The few friends that he had made couldn't really say anything for his behavior because he'd always been quiet to begin with. Quickly, Cloud made his way to the gates of the compound, his limp a little heavier than he'd have liked.

Cloud was met at the gate by a young redhead standing in front of a black car. The redhead was a little taller than Cloud, and a couple years older. His expression was one of boredom. Only when Cloud was within a few feet of him did the redhead look up. A sly smile slipped onto his lips and he eyed Cloud up and down carefully.

"I take it you're Private Strife?" the young man asked, leaning back on the car.

"Yeah," Cloud said quietly, looking towards the car.

"Heh. I didn't know C Classes came so fine, yo," the redhead said, his smile turning into a lecherous grin.

"Can we just get on our way? I have somewhere I need to be in a couple hours," Cloud bit, giving the redhead a weak glare.

"Only if you agree to a night out while you're on leave," the redhead persisted. Cloud sighed, looking away from the man. The window of the car rolled down.

"Reno," called a voice in warning from inside.

"Right, right. Look kid, forget I said that. Just get in." The redhead moved to the back door and pulled it open. Cloud climbed in a little reluctantly, not liking the fact that he had to ride with what appeared to be another sexually deprived ShinRa employee. He'd had enough of those over the past month.

When Cloud was situated in the back seat, the car pulled out. A man with dark skin and no hair was driving, the redhead riding shotgun. The blonde sighed lightly, looking out the window. He almost didn't want to be in ShinRa anymore. But he had no choice. Leaving meant a ruined future at that point.

"Hey, Strife. As you might have heard, I'm Reno," said the redhead, propping his feet on the dashboard. "And my partner here is Rude. We're Turks if you haven't guessed, and we're here to baby sit you all week. Now, we're gonna give you your personal space, yo, but just know that we're watching, even if you can't see us. That includes when you're in the bathroom, yo."

"Reno," Rude warned again, causing the redhead to burst out laughing.

"Nah, I'm just kidding about that bathroom part, yo. I don't really get off on watching runts like you shower and piss, yo. No matter how damn fine," Reno said, managing to control his fit into mere snickers. Cloud groaned, looking away. He didn't like this Reno character. He was too straightforward and rude, ironically. The man made the younger teen feel insecure with his oafish words and blatant come-ons. No. He wanted to be safe during this vacation, and Reno just screamed potential rapist to him.

"Anyways, we gotta have a little chat. You know if you desert or leak any information on ShinRa that can give it a bad name, we're allowed to do whatever suits our fancy to you at the moment? You gotta love the perks of dealing with people that are a lower class than you, yo. In't that right, Rude?" Rude only grunted in reply, keeping his attention on the road. Cloud shivered, hugging himself protectively in an attempt to stop the unwanted implications Reno's words caused to flit across his mind.

"Look, you don't have to worry about that. I'll do anything to stay with ShinRa," Cloud murmured, no longer looking out at the city but at the upholstered floor of the car. He was starting to get carsick.

"Oh! You hear that, Rude? The babe said he'd do anything to stay! Hey, hey Strife, would you get on your knees and suck me if it meant staying?" Reno laughed, turning around to look at the blonde teenager. Cloud only hugged himself tighter, pushing himself back again the seat, trying to get away from the redhead. Reno raised an eyebrow. "Hey, kiddo? What's up with you? You look like you've seen a ghost or something?"

"I'm fine, just a little carsick is all. I'd appreciate some quiet though," Cloud said timidly. Reno scoffed, turning around.

"Fine! I see how it is! No love for Reno! Nobody loves Reno! Totally blow off the best thing that can happen to yo sorry littl' ass," Reno wailed, waving an arm dramatically.

" _Reno_ ," Rude bit out. The redhead looked over at his partner before sitting back and calming down.

"Fine. I'll shut up, yo," Reno conceded. Cloud sighed, relieved that the boisterous man was finally calming down. However, the newfound quiet led his mind back to the early morning's events. He hadn't slept the previous night because the others had thought it was a good idea to get drunk and a little high in the barracks. The resulting endeavors on Cloud's part were unpleasant, making him resent Reno more at the moment. The other boys had talked to him similarly.

Finally the car pulled in front of the hotel Cloud was staying at. The lack of movement snapped Cloud out of the painful thoughts flitting through his mind. He stared up at the large building. It was tall, about thirty floors, but it lacked in comparison to the ShinRa main building at over sixty-nine.

"Yo. Catch," Reno called out, tossing a card at Cloud. It hit the blonde in the forehead, causing him to flinch back. He carefully picked it up from his lap and looked at it. It was his room cardkey. "Have a blast. You need to go anywhere and you call Rude. Don't go anywhere without him, yo. As for me, I'm gonna be around. Our numbers should be on the note pad in the room. Call Rude if you need anything. Call  _me_  if you're horny."

"Do you want me to cut your tongue out?" Rude asked calmly, turning to look at Reno.

"Oh come on! What do you expect? He's a fine piece of ass!" Reno defended. Rude just continued staring at the redhead, but Cloud couldn't discern the emotion behind the look because of the man's sunglasses. However, Reno apparently knew what the older man was communicating.

"Oh shit," he said, scrambling for the door as Rude's arm shot out to grab the redhead. Reno was too quick and managed to slip out of the car and a good ways down the street. Rude visibly relaxed when the redhead was gone.

"Excuse him. He had a little too much coffee. He's usually only half this bad," Rude explained. Cloud gave a ghost of a nod, not exactly sure what to think about what had just happened.

"Uh, I think I'll be going now. I'll need you out here in another hour or so," Cloud said, getting out of the car.

"I know," was all Rude said through the slightly cracked window before pulling off and into traffic.

Cloud sighed, looking at the keycard to find what room he was staying in. He had room 503 on one of the higher floors. He sighed, not particularly fond of heights, but he would deal. Slowly, the blonde made his way inside the building, checking the hotel directory for what floor his room was on. The hotel included a few luxury activities and stores on the bottom two levels, the rooms being higher up.

The teen boarded the elevator with a sigh, pressing the button for the twenty-sixth floor. He tentatively avoided looking out the glass walls at the city as he rose, convinced it would make his motion sickness worse. His grip on the rail was tight, causing his knuckles to turn white. Thankfully, the elevator stopped for no one and he was alone. When the elevator stopped, he stepped out carefully into the long hallway. There was only a door every twenty-five or so feet, clueing Cloud in that they must have gotten him a suite instead of a normal room.

He tracked his room down carefully. Upon finding it, he swept the key card and entered with a resigned fear that someone was already going to be in there—maybe Reno—waiting to pin him down and take him. He didn't know if he could handle another incident without truly going off the deep end.

The room was huge—a suite like he had thought. There was a small kitchen to his left as he entered, completed with a stovetop, half size fridge, coffee maker, and a microwave. Continuing in a little farther, there was a living area with a coach, two chairs, a coffee table, two lamps, one side table, and a television. These two areas took up most of the space allotted to normal rooms. There was a door that led to the bedroom on the left hand wall.

Cloud opened that door with the same caution as he did the room door. There was a king-sized bed in the center, which was slightly larger than a normal room. An end table sat on either side; one with a lamp, the other with a phone. The bedding looked to be Wutai Silk, decorated in muted reds, greens and golds. Drawers lined the wall opposite the bed.

Slowly, Cloud moved to the last door, which presumably was the bathroom **.**  It contained a large bath that could comfortably seat two people. There was a separate standing shower next to the bath. A toilet and a double sink with a large mirror rested on the opposite side of the bathroom.

The blonde retreated from the bathroom back into the bedroom. He was eager to see the clothes that ShinRa had bought him. The thought of changing into better fitting clothes was appealing. The drawers were filled with several pairs of jeans and an assortment of sweaters, t-shirts, and button ups. There was a separate drawer for socks and boxers.

Cloud selected a pair of jeans and a grey turtleneck, long-sleeved sweater. He stripped slowly, favoring his aching back. He wished he could take something to dull the pain, but that would clue ShinRa in more than he wanted, even if they already knew he had been raped. He carefully pulled on the jeans, fastening them quickly. Next, he grabbed the sweater, pulling it over his head.

When he was done, Cloud moved to the bed. It was soft and the silk felt good against what little of his skin was still exposed. The bed was like heaven compared to the ones supplied in the barrack. It was lump free, like laying on a cloud. Oh how he thought that was ironic. Cloud, laying on a cloud. He laughed hollowly at himself.

His mind slipped back to the early morning again, replaying the activities over and over. Cloud curled into himself, gripping the blankets tightly. He thrashed slightly, shifting onto his stomach, a choked sob escaping his lips.

He wanted it to stop, but he didn't want to turn anyone in. If Cloud admitted that he'd been raped, he'd lose any chances of being promoted to Class C3 in the next five years. However, if he didn't, he had the chance of being expelled from ShinRa and getting demoted by several classes with no hope of ever rising back to his former status.

The blonde writhed on the bed, the images of the morning and the consequences for his future possible actions filling his mind. He sobbed, but no tears came.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-

 

When Rude managed to catch up to Reno, he pinned the redhead against a wall. Reno grinned sheepishly up at the older, slightly taller man. Rude tightened his grip, glaring at the boy behind his sunglasses.

"Did you even read the whole file?" Rude asked, his voice carrying a dangerous edge to it.

"Uh… no?" Reno said, laughing nervously.

"Idiot. I suggest you read it before you see him next," Rude ordered, shoving the file at Reno's chest. The redhead took a few moments to scan the file before slamming it shut.

"Shit, yo. I really made more of an ass of myself than normal, didn't I?" Reno asked, looking down at the ground.

"I suggest that you at least apologize. It'll be a bitch working with someone who won't even let you within a few feet without freaking out."

"So, he's alone now, right? You sure we should be here if he is? Won't the higher ups get pissed if he kills himself?"

"I don't think they'll care so much as be glad that their problem has been solved."

"Yeah. I guess the higher ups don't really care about C Classes. Heck, I don't really either. But he's one fine piece of ass, yo! It's a waste to see something that damn hot get fucked over like this."

"There's nothing we can really do but our job, and we're not doing it. Let's get back to the hotel."

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud had been waiting patiently in the waiting room for thirty minutes before he was called back to the psychiatrist's office. He didn't really know what to expect from this new person. All he did know was that she wasn't under ShinRa's payroll, and therefore more unlikely to threaten him. He entered the small office carefully.

The first thing he noticed was the woman, sitting in a plush chair with a clipboard on her lap. She was middle-aged with graying hair and dressed somewhat casually for a work setting. The second thing he noticed was that the room was made up to look more like a room in a house than a business office.

"Ah. You must be Cloud," the woman said, turning to look up at the blond. "I'm Patricia Morgenglave. I guess I'll be your psychiatrist while you're on leave. Please, have a seat, anywhere you like." Cloud nodded, obediently taking a seat on a couch. He grabbed a throw pillow and clutched it to his stomach.

"So, I believe you already know what they want you here to talk about, but I'm not going to make you fess up, alright? If you don't want to talk about it, then I can't do anything. You'll talk when you're ready, and hopefully to someone you trust," Patricia said, looking at Cloud with a kind, gentle gaze. The blonde nodded, but said nothing.

"How about we talk about something else instead? It says in your file that you're from Nibelheim. What's it like up there?"

"It's cold," Cloud murmured simply, not looking at the psychiatrist.

"Oh. It's in the mountains, isn't it?"

"Yeah. In a valley between Mount Nibel and Mount Osire. There's snow on the ground for half the year."

"I bet a place like that is very different from Midgar."

"Not really. There's a reactor and the people can be just as heartless."

"Well, I was born in Junon, just about the time that they were dozing down the quiet town there and building up what Junon is today. I grew up being told by my mother that the people changed when ShinRa started building there. But Nibelheim's never been developed like that, has it? I would imagine that class wouldn't be much of a problem."

"My mom is Class F1. I don't think you can even begin to know what I've gone through growing up there." Cloud made eye contact for the first time as he said that, catching the woman off-guard.

"I suppose that's true, but I can always try. You can tell me about it."

"I'd rather not." Cloud turned away again.

"Is your mother why you joined ShinRa?"

"Yeah." There was a long lull in the conversation, lasting a few minutes.

"You know that anything we talk about stays in this room. And even what I'm required to say to ShinRa must be kept confidential. And if they decide to move on their own accord, you can always make them keep everything as quiet as possible—though, with a situation like yours, I'd think they'd want it quiet anyway." Cloud stayed quiet once more.

"Our time is almost up. We can sit here quietly if you'd like." Cloud glanced around the room, images of his fellow infantrymen flashing through his head. After a few minutes, he looked up at the psychiatrist, then away again.

"I-I was raped this morning." Cloud whispered, clutching the pillow tighter to his stomach, almost ripping the seams apart.

"Oh, Cloud," the psychiatrist gasped, shaking her head.

"And three more times before that," he murmured, only slightly louder than before.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

It was early afternoon, but Reno couldn't resist the urge to have some sort of alcoholic substance. Cloud was back at the hotel, hopefully snuggled into the bed sheets sleeping. The boy had looked horrible when he walked out of the psychiatrist's office. After Reno had actually read the boy's file, every reaction the boy had to him made perfect sense. The redhead had taken the first couple of hours after the appointment to watch Cloud, apologizing in his own way. He ordered room service for the boy—cake, a bottle of fine wine, and some fancy Wutai cuisine. And during the brief time they'd talked, Reno called himself an ass for what he'd said earlier.

The blonde teen was only part of the reason he wanted to get drunk, he supposed. Work was stressful lately with all the havoc being caused by Genesis and Angeal. Tseng had been cracking down on everyone, leading to massive amounts of stress. Missions were more dangerous than ever; the number of people that needed to be tracked down and taken out was overwhelming since Genesis apparently had many connections and protected them well. Hollander was especially a bitch to track, considering that he was hiding behind Genesis himself.

On top of that, there was a strong rise in Anti-ShinRa groups. Ecoterrorists and protest groups alike were becoming a nuisance. The Turks had to keep meticulous tabs on each group, the biggest and most dangerous so far being AVALANCHE. All this combined into one very unhappy Reno.

So, the redhead chose a bar at random, knowing they'd all be open for the Fall Festival. During this time of year no one really cared when you drank and how old you were, just that they got the increased business. He sized up the people in the bar with a sweeping glance. His gaze settled on a head of black spikes. Reno smirked, moving over the teen at that was seated at the bar.

"Yo, Zack. You still trying to get into Cissnei's pants?" Reno called jokingly as he took a seat next to the SOLDIER. The teen looked up at him with a grin.

"Hey to you too, Reno. Wasn't expecting to see you here," Zack replied.

"I can say the same. But really, you still trying, 'cause I think this time of year'd be the best time to get her in the sack, yo. Or are you planning on going down to the slums and wooing that little chick down there off her feet?"

"How do you know about Aerith?" Zack asked skeptically. "I just met her like two weeks ago."

"You forget, yo. I'm a Turk. We know all."

"Right. So what was this you were saying about now being a good time to get Cissnei into bed?"

"It's stressful being a Turk right now and all the bars are open twenty-four-seven. I can guarantee you that she'll probably go to at least one. That and she fuckin'  _knows_  getting laid will relax her. Hell, I'm still trying right now."

"Mmm. I'll keep that in mind. But really,  _you_  not getting laid? I find that a little hard to imagine."

"Well, I totally fucked up today, ok?" Reno said as the bartender placed his usual drink in front of him—he frequented just about every bar in Midgar, despite the fact that he was just eighteen.

"Really? How so? You always seem like a smooth talker to me," He was just as bad as the redhead when this time of year rolled around—a year younger and still looking to get drunk.

"I've been assigned to guard this totally fucking hot guy for the week and made an ass out of myself before I read his file. Fuckin' said shit that I know did the opposite of getting him to like me, yo. And it's fuckin' stupid that he's so damn hot and so fuckin' off limits."

"Is he really that good-looking?" Zack asked, motioning for the bartender to refill his drink. Reno tossed back his own drink.

"Oh fuck yes. If I didn't have morals or any sense of self control, I could totally blow one just looking at him." At that, Zack burst out laughing.

"Well, he really must be a looker then. Mmm, but you know, I think I might be persuaded to go back to your place sometime," Zack said, once he got himself under control.

"Really?" Reno asked, his face lighting up at the promise of sex.

"Yeah. But not tonight. I was planning on going out with Kunsel. He says he's been feeling a little neglected since I made it to First."

"Lucky fuck. You get laid too often."

"It comes with being SOLDIER First Class," Zack boasted, grinning.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud left the safe confines of his room to explore Midgar. The city always had a dark presence shadowing over it, making it a rather dark place even on the plate in the daytime. But night was approaching and Cloud was getting restless and hungry. Sure, one of the Turks sent him up some food, but he'd only had the cake and left the rest alone. He wasn't much for Wutai food.

People were out and about in record numbers for the festival. Vendors had been set up street carts, selling different goods from all corners of Gaia. There weren't any street performances planned, but one of Genesis' fan clubs had taken the liberty of putting on yet another version of Loveless. Game stands had been placed every so often, offering various little prizes for the children.

Unfortunately, almost everything was limited to people Class B or above, preventing Cloud from participating much in anything. Hosts of all the restaurants asked for ID upon entry to check for class verification. Though Class C2 and C1 were allowed to live above the plate, there wasn't much for C Classes to do.

Cloud was eyeing the Loveless Theater, wondering if he could buy a ticket or not. The idea of sneaking in flitted across his mind if he couldn't. After a few moments he decided that even if he could buy a ticket, the seat that he would get would be horrible and he probably wouldn't be able to see anything. With a heavy sigh, he turned around, wondering why he'd even attempted trying to find something to do above the plate. As he was walking away, someone slammed hard into his side, knocking him down and falling on top of him.

"Shit," said the person laying on him. The man pulled out a something from his pocket and put it to his ear, elbow digging into Cloud's sternum **.** "I've lost sight of him. Last I saw though, he went behind Loveless Theater. … Right. Thanks."

"Can you get off of me?" Cloud asked **,**  trying to pull himself from under the man's weight. He was getting uncomfortable, reminded of the weight of some of his peers.

"Huh? Oh!" the man said, scrambling to remove himself from Cloud. "Sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going. You ok?" Cloud nodded, sitting up.

"I hit my head, but I'll be alright," Cloud murmured, touching the back of his head. He looked over at the man that collided into him, his eyes widening as they connected with his.

"Oh, wow," the man breathed.

"You're a SOLDIER," Cloud said simply. The man nodded dumbly, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.

"You have really nice eyes." Cloud looked away then, nervous. "Your eyes are glowing."

"Well, yeah. Kinda comes with being a SOLDIER," the man said, standing up. He offered a hand to Cloud. He took it, allowing himself to be pulled up. The blond took a moment to look at the SOLDIER more critically. He had black hair, just as unruly as his, and was a good half a foot taller than Cloud. He couldn't have been more than a couple of years older than Cloud either.

"What's it like? In SOLDIER, I mean?" Cloud asked timidly. He hadn't meant for that to slip out.

"Huh? You interested in joining?" the man asked, a grin forming on his lips.

"I guess you can say that," Cloud replied, rather quietly. The man was looking over Cloud's shoulder.

"Well, you can find out when you join up. Look, I gotta go, sorry." He took off running the same direction he'd come from.

Cloud sighed. Those words stung him more than that SOLDIER could have ever possibly have realized. SOLDIER meant fame and glory. SOLDIER was every boy's dream occupation and Cloud had been no different. But SOLDIER also meant B Class and above. Cloud had learned pretty fast as a child that he'd never be able to achieve the dream of being in SOLDIER. The highest he could ever be in the world was a nameless grunt on the battlefield.


	3. Chapter 3

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Zack asked as he sheepishly entered the General's office. The silverette looked up from his paperwork at the teen.

"Ah. Yes. Zachary. I'm glad you made it in on such short notice."

"Well, I didn't really want to get you mad. So, what did you want?" Zack replied, sitting in the chair opposite Sephiroth's desk. He honestly didn't know why there was a chair in here to begin with since Sephiroth only ever had meetings in other people's offices. Zack had learned fairly quickly that only a select few people were ever invited into Sephiroth's domain. Maybe the chair had been for Angeal or Genesis? He had called them his friends.

"There's a production going on at the Loveless Theater this week and I was wondering if you'd like to go see it," Sephiroth said calmly, looking Zack in the eye. The teen raised an eyebrow.

"Are you asking me on a date?" Zack asked, voice laced with amusement. Sephiroth gave the boy a look of confusion for a moment before Zack's words clicked in his head.

"No. It's nothing like that. I'm asking as a friend, nothing more. I thought that since we were both dealing with Genesis, that maybe we could learn something from watching the play," Sephiroth said, folding his hands in front of him on the desk.

"So, it's about them, then, huh?" Zack said, leaning back. "And here for a second I thought I was witnessing the impossible."

"What do you mean?" Sephiroth asked, confused.

"Well, no offense, but you kinda seem to have a heart of ice, you know?"

"Well, I can assure you I don't," the General said, his voice hardening slightly.

"I know you don't, but that's just the vibe you give off. You don't seem like the type of guy that ever gets crushes or falls in love."

"To be honest, there's been a boy on my mind for the past week or so," Sephiroth said, turning his chair to the side, away from Zack.

"Really? A boy? I didn't think you were into that kind of thing."

"He's in the ShinRa army, not SOLDIER."

"So how did you meet him?" Zack asked, leaning forward. He was truly interested now.

"When Angeal and Genesis deserted, Hojo thought it'd be wise if I were to see a psychiatrist everyday to ensure my mental health. As you know, higher priorities are done in the morning. About a week ago, I was phoned and told that they would have to move my appointments to an hour later because a more serious case came up."

"I can't believe they said that to you. Aren't you supposed to be the most important person of all?"

"Apparently, they were less worried about me going on a killing streak than whatever is going on with this boy. Everyday last week, I'd walk past him as I headed into my appointment. But he wasn't there yesterday nor today, and it's gotten me curious."

"He's got to be something to get you curious."

"He's gorgeous—like an angel. I threatened the psychiatrist for information on him, but he only told me that he didn't know where the boy was and that he hoped he would rot in hell for his behavior. Whatever he's going there for must be serious," Sephiroth said, turning back to the desk and cupping his chin in his hand.

"The world is full of mysteries, Sephiroth. Have you tried searching the database for him?"

"He wouldn't be there. The ShinRa army is a bunch of grunts. President ShinRa and most of the other employees of ShinRa could care less about them. The few that work their way up to Class B4 and B3 don't like to leave their ranks to join SOLDIER, though. They grow fond of the army in their own way."

"It must have been a hard life for them – for that boy, too," Zack said, looking away from Sephiroth. "I can't really imagine it. I was born a B3, so I don't really know. My parents are pretty upscale where I come from."

"You're B1 now. If you keep this up, you may be in Class A someday."

"Like you?"

"No. I'm not in Class A. I'm in a class of my own. I thought that you of all people would know that," Sephiroth said, giving Zack a disappointed look.

"Hey. I am apt to lapses in memory. Forgive me," Zack said, trying to push his blunder aside. "But I really don't like that they separated you like that. It's not like you're really that different."

"Zachary, I am more different than you could ever believe," Sephiroth said simply.

"But aren't Angeal and Genesis in your class too? They're pretty normal too."

"I grew up in the labs, Zach. I had no friends until Genesis and Angeal joined SOLDIER. I've never known what it feels like to be loved."

"That's… Sephiroth…" Zack said shaking his head.

"I would approach the boy, but he's gone and I'm afraid that he'd treat me like everyone else does."

"I don't know what he'd be like, but you can't judge a person by looks alone. Why don't you just track him down and watch him for a while?"

"Isn't that called stalking?"

"It's not like they can do anything to you about it. Besides, you know as well as I do that there is no punishment for crimes committed on a person who is two or more classes below you."

"I suppose you're correct."

"And besides, if anyone asks you, you can just say you were checking up on what you thought was a suspicious character. Pin it all on the kid. Worst he'll get is a little harder interrogation, right?"

"Zachary," Sephiroth said warningly. The teen smiled sheepishly

"Uh, anyway. About going to see Loveless," Zack said, standing up.

"Ah, yes. I was planning on going tomorrow evening." Zack smiled and moved to the side of Sephiroth's desk. The silverette swiveled to follow the teen's movements.

"I'd be glad to go. Actually, I'm honored," Zack said, moving so he was within arms reach of Sephiroth. He started to move his hand as if to touch the other man but stopped, returning his hand back to his side. "I really wasn't expecting you to open up like this today, actually."

"I'm sorry. Did I overstep my boundaries?"

"No, not at all. It was kinda nice actually. Seeing another side of you and all."

"I see. That's good, I suppose."

"Ah yeah. I can meet you at the theater tomorrow for the evening show, alright? I've been tracking down Wutai spies in Midgar, so I've been running all over the city. In fact, I should really get back to that," Zack said, moving back towards the door.

"Right. Understandable. I suppose I'll see you tomorrow, then."

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"Cloud, what you are doing is a very hard thing to do. I understand if you want to stop at any point," the psychiatrist said, looking at Cloud with understanding. He only sighed and looked away.

"The… The first time it happened was in the shower. They're public with no barriers so we were always on display to the others. The second time was in the locker room after training. Again, we aren't really ever given the option of privacy. And the third time was in the showers again, but before morning drills."

"What about yesterday morning?"

"We were in the barracks," Cloud murmured, squeezing his eyes shut. He remained silent for a few moments. "It's hard. It's so hard having to continue on in an environment like that. I'm not safe anywhere but places that have more than just the people that I live with. There's nowhere to hide, and I'm starting to think that it'll always be this way. I'm starting to think that they're right; that I should give up trying to be in ShinRa and just become some whore down in the slums."

"Cloud, a boy your age has no place in a business like that."

"Yeah, but a boy my age can join up with ShinRa and march into a battlefield and get shot up beyond recognition. This world doesn't give a fuck about me. I don't even have the right to live or stay the night on the plate unless I'm with ShinRa. I wouldn't be  _here_  if it weren't for the fact that I could horribly scar ShinRa's name. They're walking on eggshells with me so that it doesn't get out that little poster board sons could get raped."

Tears were threatening to fall from Clouds eyes, but he wouldn't let himself cry. No, he wouldn't cry in front of this woman. He had pride and he would only cry if he was alone and knew no one would be able to hear him or intervene. He didn't want anyone's comfort. Instead, the blonde took to gripping the pillow impossibly tighter. He'd ripped through it already so his nails were digging into the cottony inside.

"I'm worthless to them. I'm so fucking worthless. I just… I just want to disappear sometimes. No, not sometimes anymore. What's the use of me even being around? ShinRa says that my mental health could make me a hazard to the troops. They say if I can't improve, they'll kick me out. I'll be demoted.

"I've had so goddamned little choice in my life. So… little. My dad was never around. The kids never allowed me to join in with their games. I had to get my mom some kind of support because the people at home treat her like dirt, so I had to join ShinRa. I get here and the others tease me, harass me. I didn't get to choose who took my virginity. I couldn't even chose for myself if I wanted to tell or not—"

Cloud broke off suddenly, falling silent. He could see the faces of the five teens that had assaulted him. He could feel their hands on him and it made him want to scratch at his skin. He could just see what they would do to him. He could see what the others would do to him to once he got back. A mangled sob escaped his lips. Slowly, he took a deep breathe.

"I'm pathetic," he murmured.

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm angsting. I shouldn't be. They really will throw me out if I keep up like that. None… None of this should bother me. I need to be stronger."

"Cloud, don't say things like that. It's perfectly normal to think like this after everything you've been through. And there are plenty of corruptions in today's world. It's ok to say them."

"I'm not good enough. I need to be better. Stronger. I can't keep going through life without steeling myself over. I can't let people think I'm weak anymore."

"Cloud…"

"I just can't. It'll all happen over and over again if I keep letting them think I'm something weak."

"Cloud, you seem a little unstable right now. I'm going to prescribe you something, and I want you to take it, ok? Every day," Patricia said, pulling out her prescription pad and scribbling it down. "Our time is about up anyway. I want you to give this to the Turk who's been guarding you and go get those meds today."

Cloud nodded dully as he took the slip of paper. He put the pillow down beside him and stood slowly. He took a moment to compose himself a little more before moving to the door. When he walked out, Reno grabbed his arm. The blonde flinched away, glaring weakly at the redhead. He gave the Turk his prescription and continued walking. Reno hurried behind him. They remained quiet until they were in the car.

"Look, we're not all asses. Us upper class, I mean. I'm usually one of the asses, but… I'm on your side. So don't screw up and make me have to kill you, ok?" Reno said, slipping the keys in the ignition.

"I don't care whose side you're on, or if I live or die. Just get my meds and take me back to the hotel," Cloud said miserably, wrapping his arms around himself. Reno shook his head.

"Look kid, you're too fuckin' sexy to be this screwed up in the head, ok? You need to fuckin' start caring about that shit, yo. I'm pretty damn sure your mother would be sad if her only son died. Hell, I'd probably shed a tear. Fuckin' shame if something as pretty as you just rolled over and died."

"Shut up," Cloud snapped, voice strained.

"Right. Whatever, yo," Reno said, pulling to the parking lot of a pharmacy. "Get your ass out of the car. We're going to get your meds, together." Cloud sighed, shoving the car door open and climbing out. Reno stepped out beside the teen and herded him into the pharmacy. Once in the store, Reno left Cloud up to his own devices and headed to the back where the counter was. He waited patiently behind a small group of people, all undoubtedly Class B citizens of various rank. People like Cloud weren't normally allowed in places like this above the plate. Slowly, the line worked its way down to just Reno.

"How may I help you?" asked the pharmacist.

"Yeah. I need this prescription filled, "" the redhead said, bored. He slid the paper across the counter.

"Ah, this must be your first time here. We'll need you to fill out a form before we can fill your prescription, and we'll need to see your ID—" The pharmacist was cut off as Reno slammed an ID card onto the counter top. He leaned forward, grinning widely.

"Look hon, I'm a Turk. When I say I want this prescription filled, I mean now and with a fuckin' smile, yo. You got ten minutes until I electrocute yo ass." The pharmacist squeaked and ran into the backroom with the slip. Reno chuckled lightly to himself. He moved back from the counter and looked at the goods that lined the shelves under it.

He sighed and headed to the front of the store, making sure to check for Cloud's spikes over the shelving units. He picked up a shopping basket from by the door and returned to the aisle that contained the candy. He found it odd that a place devoted to improving health had a candy section, but dismissed it as the storeowner trying to draw in business from the kids. He started at the head of the aisle and took two of every type of gum and candy, if only to piss the pharmacist off more when he went to pay for Cloud's drugs. When the redhead came to the lollipop and sucker section, he shifted through the bins until he'd found two of every flavor.

When he was done, he checked his watch and decided that enough was enough and headed back to the back counter. He dropped the practically overflowing basket onto the counter just as the pharmacist was scuttling out from the back. Reno gave the man a wry grin when his eyes widened at the sight of the candy.

"You wouldn't mind ringing that up for me too, would you?" Reno teased, knowing the man had no choice. As the man grudgingly started ringing up the items, Reno dropped back into the store aisles. He figured he had enough time to find a few things that he was short on for his emergency medical kit. Quickly, the Turk grabbed a few hi-potions, some bandages and a disinfectant cream. He dropped them on the counter just as the man was finishing up the last of the candy bars. Reno just shrugged the man's halfhearted glare off.

"That'll be a total of ten thousand gil," the pharmacist said. Reno looked at the man with a raised eyebrow.

"The medical supplies all fall under the jurisdiction of a ShinRa discount. Think again, buddy. Those hi-potions are only five hundred gil for me. And those meds, whatever price they are, cut it in two," Reno said, displeased. The pharmacist sighed and added the discount in. Reno pulled his wallet out and counted out the total in hundred gil notes. He slid the notes across the counter, picked his bags up and went to find Cloud.

The blonde was standing in the middle of an aisle dedicated to natural enhancement. Reno chuckled at the irony of it. In his honest opinion, Cloud didn't need it, but maybe that was exactly why the blonde had chosen there of all places to kill time. The blonde reached out and grabbed a male enhancement bottle and turned it over and over in his hands until he stopped on the back. The blonde stared at the label, reading it.

"You got problems with how big your dick is?" Reno teased, deciding that it was the opportune moment to let Cloud know he was there. The blonde jumped slightly, quickly snapping to look at Reno. "I wonder why, really. I mean, someone as good looking as you really shouldn't have to worry about those things. What they lack in inch, other things naturally overcompensate for it."

"I wasn't—I'm not—" Cloud stuttered, turning red and stumbling away from Reno, slightly.

"Calm down. Sheesh. I  _know_  you weren't. But really. Don't let size bug you out. Girls don't know that bigger ain't always better. Heck, most guys don't know that either. I can tell you upfront, big fat dicks up your ass or vagina is not as fun as most people in porno want you to think." Cloud shuddered at the thought and placed the bottle carefully back on the shelf.

"I can't believe you're talking to me about sex," Cloud sighed. "I swear, you think with your dick."

"And you didn't before all this shit started?"

"I guess you have a point," Cloud grumbled, turning away.

"Yup. Because  _I'm_ a Turk, and Turks know  _all_ ," Reno sang out, following the blonde. "So let's go for the car and I'll take you back to the hotel."

"Fine. Let's go," Cloud grumbled, not at all impressed with the redhead. When he reached the car, he grabbed for the handle of the back seat, where he had been riding.

"Na-ah-ah, bubba. You're riding shotgun to the hotel," Reno commanded from the driver's side door. Cloud sighed and moved to get in the front. As Reno was getting in, he turned to Cloud with a wicked smirk. "Hey, Cloud, wanna Blow Pop?"

"E-excuse me?" Cloud said, scooting as far from Reno as he could.

"The sucker. I didn't mean blowing me." At that Cloud sighed and shifted back into the proper space in the seat. Reno threw a large bag at him then threw another smaller one in back. Cloud hastily opened it, staring at the candy in confusion.

"Candy?"

"Yeah. You look like shit. Thought you might like some comfort food since the damn hotel doesn't have any. Hand me a Chuckles Bar?" Reno explained, shoving the keys in the ignition and holding his hand out for the candy bar. Cloud quickly sifted through the mess and gave Reno the candy. He quietly selected an Almond Boy from the back.

"You really didn't have to."

"I know. I wanted to annoy the pharmacist and you looked like you needed some teen comfort food. But half that shit's mine, yo. You got it?" The redhead took a bite from the candy bar as he pulled out of the parking spot. "I paid for your drugs too—I really had to do that since you aren't authorized to get it yourself, but when the prescription runs out, you're going to need to get it from ShinRa. You're going to have to pay for it too, and it's expensive, yo."

"How expensive?" Cloud asked, fear leaking into his voice.

"One thousand and five hundred with the ShinRa discount. I'm sorry, yo. I don't know if they'll give you the discount or not."

Cloud heaved a heavy sigh, turning away from Reno took look out the window as he reached for another candy bar. The medication would take up most, if not all, of his monthly salary. But did he really need it?

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud didn't really know why he was riding the train down to the slums. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he was hungry and bored. Nevertheless, he'd boarded the train and was passing through the ID checkpoint. It was probably stupid and idiotic to go down to the slums, considering that he probably wouldn't be able to get back up considering his class status, but he figured he'd let Rude handle it. Reno had wandered off at least an hour prior, saying something about a date and to not get into trouble, but Cloud didn't care much.

When the train pulled into the station of the sector six slums, he exited quickly and carefully. He knew the slums was a dangerous place. Rapists and thieves lurked around practically every corner, especially in this sector. He looked around carefully before choosing a relatively new looking bar and grill to dine in. No one asked for ID in the slums. It wasn't really needed since very little was C Class limited. About the only thing he could think of that required ID was the Honey Bee Manor, simply because E and F classes were usually the service provider and not the customer.

The teen walked in and quickly took in his surroundings. The place was packed, most likely because of the festival, leaving only a few seats at the bar and one table open. Cloud made his way to the bar. He ordered a sandwich and a beer, starting off light. The man next to him looked at him strangely before snorting.

"Aren't you a li'l young to be drinking?" he asked, his voice gruff and thick with a country accent and slurred from alcohol.

"It's not like it's any of your business," Cloud said, shrugging the man off and turning away.

"Guess not, but ever'one's got their reasons for drinkin' I s'pose. But you don't look like you're from the slums, so why you even here?" the man asked, eyeing Cloud's clothes. The teen turned back to the man. He was at least thirty with blonde hair and a cigarette hanging from his lips. His clothing was just as clean as Cloud's and looked to be a bit more expensive than the others' around them.

"You don't either," Cloud dead panned.

"Touche! I guess that means you ain't gonna talk, but that's alright 'cause I don' really give a fuck anyway. You brats these days. All got sticks up your asses." Cloud laughed, finding the statement somewhat ironic. The man looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"I've got a stick up my ass huh?" Cloud said shaking his head slightly. "I could say the same about you." The teen's sandwich and beer was placed in front of him then. Cloud went for the beer first, drinking half of it down. He sighed, placing it back on the bar. It'd been a while since he'd had alcohol of any kind.

"Take it slow there. Don' wanna go over board, do ya? It's bad on the liver."

"I'm not new to this, ok? And I'm not a lightweight either," Cloud pouted, picking up his sandwich.

"Ah. Coulda fooled me. You just look the super in'cent type."

"Yeah, well, I'm not. I worked in a bar when I was younger."

"Younger?" the man said in slight shock. He squinted at the boy, taking him in. "How much younger, 'cause you don't look much older'n thirteen." Cloud sighed, resisting the urge to hit his head on the counter.

"I'm fifteen," he gritted out. "I quit working there when I decided to come here."

"If you don' mind, what class're you?"

"I'll only tell if you tell me."

"Me? I'm Class B2."

"Class C4."

"No fuckin' kiddin'? So you do belong down 'ere. Or do you work with ShinRa? You can't get such nice clothes any other way."

"I really don't need to answer that."

"Nah. I work there too. Name's Cid." Cloud looked at him carefully before deciding it was safe to befriend him.

"Cloud."

"Fuckin' girly name you got," Cid scoffed.

"Shut up."

"So what you do for ShinRa, kid?"

"I'm in the infantry."

"Hah. I'm in the space explo'atin' progr'm. I'm goin' to space."

"Space, huh? I bet it's nice up there," Cloud murmured, finishing off his beer.

"Hey, two more beers!" Cid called. The tender sent Cid a dirty look.

"This is your twelfth, you're not getting another after this!" he said placing the drinks down. Cid waved the man off.

"So if you're going to space, why are you down here of all places?" Cloud asked, bringing the mug to his lips.

"Bah. The bars on the plate are too clean 'n tame for my likin'. You?"

"I can't really do anything above the plate and I'm on leave. Figured I might as well get tipsy."

"I'm su'prised you ain't out drinkin' with your buddies. Ain't no one else on leave?"

"I didn't really make friends. Not usually the friendly type, you know."

"Boy do I. The little shits can be annoyin' sometimes. I usually ain't too friendly either, but you know how drinkin' goes." Cloud nodded, draining the last of his beer. He pulled out his wallet and put the gil owed on the counter.

"Look, I should get going. Gotta get back to my hotel before it gets too late," Cloud said. "Been… nice talking to you."

"Right, right. Maybe we'll run into each other sometime," Cid said, waving him off. Cloud shook his head and chuckled lightly.

As he pushed his way out the restaurant, he heard a loud crash and the beginnings of a bar bawl. He sighed, deciding he'd chosen right time to leave. Maybe he'd check out the vendors for something nice to send back to his mother. He pushed through the crowds, glancing at the booths. The slums had nearly twice the wares that the plate had.

After walking awhile, he decided to check out the contents of a clothes store. The wares were mediocre but better than what he knew was available to his mother at home. He shifted through the clothes slowly before deciding that his mother wouldn't appreciate any of it. He made his way out of the store, finally ready to attempt returning to the plate. However, just as he was passing the sign at the entrance of the store, he was roughly grabbed and shoved into an alley. His head cracked hard against the brick wall of the clothing store, causing his vision to fizzle to black.


	4. Chapter 4

Reno found himself pulled into the apartment roughly and slammed to the wall just moments after he'd knocked on the door. A pair of lips had managed to find their way to his and a tongue was prying its way into his mouth. He groaned into the kiss, threading his fingers into the other's dark spiky hair. The other, younger man moved forward, pressing his clothed erection to the redhead's.

"Gawd, Zack," Reno moaned when they broke for air. "Can't even wait for me to get in." He pressed his hips back into Zack, rolling them slightly. Zack moaned, pressing his face into Reno's neck, nipping lightly.

"You've kept me waiting all day. You got my libido up and awake and thriving with anticipation. Forgive me if I'm a little… impatient," Zack murmured huskily between nips.

" _Oh_  no," Reno moaned more than said, pressing his neck into Zack's face. "I don't mind at  _all._ " He tugged sharply on Zack's hair, causing the man to groan. The ravenet returned to Reno's lips, immediately pushing his tongue in for control. Reno didn't even try for dominance, not minding the fact that he was submitting. He did it so rarely that it tended to be a nice change.

The redhead let his hands wander down Zack's neck, stopping a moment to play with the strands at the nape of his neck. They continued their path downwards, scratching into Zack's back and coming to rest on his firm ass. Zack moaned, pressing into Reno and grinding their erections together.

Zack's arms dropped from beside Reno's head to the redhead's hips. Reno nudged his fingers below the hem of Zack's pants and pulled the SOLDIER's out. The redhead's long, pianist fingers slipped under the thick, bulletproof material and brushed against hot skin. Zack slid his hands up the redhead's sides, stopping when he reached the man's shoulders. He pushed Reno's suit jacket off his shoulders, forcing the redhead to withdraw his probing hands and remove the article.

The buttons were next on Zack's list. He made quick work of them before tugging Reno back and towards the bedroom. Reno buried his hands back beneath Zack's shirt, pushing it farther up so he could touch more of the ravenet's delectable, hot skin. After a moment, Zack stopped all movement to the bedroom and allowed Reno to push the fabric fully over his head. His armor had been removed and stored away while he'd been waiting for Reno.

Movement was restored as Zack forced Reno around so he was pushing rather than pulling. The ravenet's hands made contact with Reno's belt and fumbled with it for a moment to unfasten it. He dropped it unceremoniously on the ground as he pushed the redhead into his room. Zack's pants dropped at the doorway. He hadn't even noticed Reno's hand's unfastening them—quite a feat considering he was as hard as he was.

"You're still too dressed," Zack pouted, letting his lips find the crook of Reno's neck. One hand sought out a pert nipple, tugging it lightly. The other made its way to the button on Reno's suit pants. Reno himself, worked off his shirt letting it drop off to the floor, not caring that Zack stepped on it the next moment. Just as Reno's pants pooled around his ankles, his legs hit the side of Zack's bed.

It didn't take much force from there for Reno to fall back. Zack wasn't far behind, landing them in a tangle of limbs, still-clothed erections pressed firmly together. The ravenet caught Reno's lips as they better situated themselves on the bed.

Reno laid back and relaxed as Zack let his hands wander over his body. He was bottoming and was going to  _enjoy_  the lack of work he'd have to do. Zack's hands stopped at the redhead's briefs, quickly hooking under them before pulling them down. Reno lifted his hips to aid in the effort. The briefs were tossed carelessly away. Zack's touch left momentarily as he removed his own. The ravenet laid himself over Reno who spread his legs.

The touch of skin was electric. Reno began to thrust shallowly, causing delicious friction as the two men's hardnesses moved against each other. The redhead groaned in appreciation of the movement. They only remained like that for a moment, however, as Zack began to trail a path down Reno with his tongue. He stopped at one of the man's nipples, nipping it gently before lapping at it. The slightly younger male continued his trail south, stopping at Reno's belly button to nuzzle affectionately into the redhead's abs.

The next stop was Reno's inner thigh. This region, too, was affectionately nuzzled. Zack placed a few light kisses before lapping at the skin. One hand gripped at the redhead's hip as the other moved to cup his balls. Reno moaned, pressing into Zack's touch. The ravenet only smirked before lifting Reno's hips slightly for better access to his entrance.

He licked once, slow and wet, across Reno's entrance before lightly pressing his tongue past the tight ring of flesh. Zack withdrew quickly, only to press in again, a little deeper. He continued this process until he could press in no farther, taking pleasure in the noises Reno made. When he removed his tongue again, he lapped at the entrance.

Zack's other hand moved to Reno's hip, stabilizing the redhead as he licked from the base of Reno's balls to the tip of his cock. The redhead moaned loudly, thrusting up only as much as Zack would allow. The ravenet took to licking the length of the member again before taking the tip into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it. He pulled back briefly, pressing his tongue into the slit to collect the precum. Zack lowered his head again, this time taking in as much as he could. He raised up slowly, dragging his tongue on the underside.

"Like a fucking dog. You really like licking, don't you?" Reno groaned, attempting to thrust back into Zack's mouth. The younger only grinned before lowering himself again. He hummed his affirmation to Reno's statement, causing the redhead to buck. Relaxing his throat muscles, Zack took the older in deeper, hollowing his cheeks before pulling back up again. This time he pulled away completely. Reno whimpered in protest.

"Who sounds like a dog now?" Zack joked as he leaned over the redhead to grab the lube on the nightstand. Applying a generous amount to his hand, he slipped two fingers into Reno to make sure that he was prepared before slicking his member. The younger took Reno's legs and placed one over each shoulder, positioning himself. He pressed in, burying himself to the hilt in one fluid movement, eliciting a heady, guttural groan from the redhead.

It was only a moment before Zack was moving and trying to find the right angle for Reno. The redhead took to gripping the sheets for the time being. When Zack actually managed to hit that magical spot inside Reno, he took to gripping Zack's back, rattling off a rather long, colorful stream of moans. This only increased Zack's fervor, who leant forward and grabbed Reno's cock. Using the leftover lube from earlier, he began matching his own pace.

"F-fuck. You continue that, and I'm gonna cum soon," Reno ground out between gasps for breath and moans. Zack simply grinned into Reno's chest. He was considering actually making Reno cum and then working him back up for a second round, but the phone went off. Not just any phone either, but Reno's cell. Zack found himself being shoved off.

"Fuck, fuck! Stop! I have to answer that. I'm on an important mission and I'll be screwed over if it's Tseng and he thinks I'm not there!" Zack gave a frustrated sigh at Reno's actions and pulled out, albeit reluctantly. Reno scrambled from the bed, grabbing his pants and searching them for the phone. When he found it he flipped it open.

"Hello?" he asked gruffly, not really hiding the fact that he was pissed. He climbed back on the bed and flopped down on his stomach. Zack grinned at the pleasant view.

"Reno, get your ass down to the Sector Six slums," Rude's deep voice commanded through the phone. Reno sighed in relief.

"Look Rude, I'm busy. I told you. I'll be done in like, an hour," Reno said, looking back to Zack. The younger was grinning and crawling towards him. Reno didn't complain when he felt Zack grab him by the hip and lift him up.

"You don't really have a choice in the matter, Reno," Rude said, sounding a bit distracted.

"How much trouble can one person cause? You should be able to handle him alone. You don't need me." At this, Zack pushed back into Reno, causing him to moan throatily. The redhead looked back and glared at Zack.

"Reno, get Zack out of your ass and put your pants on," Rude growled warningly.

"How the fuck do you that that it's Zack? How the hell do you even know I'm on bottom?" Reno asked, skeptical of his partner. Zack pouted slightly, his enhanced hearing letting him pick up Rude's end of the conversation. He pulled back and snapped his hips forward, causing Reno to groan again.

"Because you don't answer the phone when you top and you only bottom to a handful of people. Now get your pants on. We have a problem," Rude answered smoothly. Zack picked up a regular rhythm in his thrusts—slow. Reno moaned, burying his face in the pillow.

"What happened? Did the squirt get— _fuck, yes_ —attacked by those guys again?  _God_ _ **dammit**_ _, Zack, there,_ _ **there**_ —" Reno broke off into a moan as Zack struck at his prostate again.

"No. I could handle that. This is a little more complicated. The target's been kidnapped." Rude apparently seemed completely unfazed, which annoyed Zack to some degree. The ravenet grabbed for Reno's cock. The redhead cried out and bucked back against him.

" _S-shit!_  Can't you handle that yourself?  _Fuck, harder!_  It was p-probably a p-pr-prostitution ri- _ngh_."

"No. It's not them. He got grabbed by AVALANCHE." All movement on the bed stopped at the mention of the terrorist group. Zack, however, didn't pull out.

"What the fuck, Rude?" Reno managed after a few moments of silence.

"I'm not small and fast enough to get through to them, and you know the slums a lot better than I do," Rude said, sounding slightly off put.

"Zack, pull out," Reno grumbled, looking back at the younger teen. Zack pouted but did as he was told. The seriousness of the situation didn't escape him. He wasn't stupid. "I'll be there in twenty minutes. I just gotta find my clothes and get to the station."

Rude gave a simple grunt of understanding before hanging up. Reno sighed, closing his phone. He stood and walked across the room to grab his underwear and hastily pulled it on. His pants were next. As he grabbed his clothes, Zack flopped back on the bed, the pout still on his face. Before he left, Reno poked his head into the bedroom one more time.

"Look, maybe we can continue some other time, ok? I just don't want to lose my head for choosing a good fuck over my job."

"Go on. I understand. It's not the first time I've been interrupted like that during sex. It's practically a must in ShinRa," Zack said, waving a hand in the air. Reno just grinned and turned to leave.

 

-.-.-.-

 

The room was lit with dim old fashion hanging lights, giving Cloud an uneasy feeling. Whoever had managed to catch him was definitely working underground. He'd woken up tied to a chair in what looked like a warehouse, but he knew wasn't. The slums didn't have things like warehouses, or at least not vacant ones like the one he was in.

Various sized men and an occasional woman had been passing through, one coming to inspect Cloud every once in a while. People were careful not to talk near him, or at least not about what they had been prior to entering the room. The others' conversations seemed tense, awkward, and forced as they passed Cloud.

Deciding he'd had enough of just sitting there quietly, Cloud began to test his restraints. The ropes had been tied tightly, allowing for little movement. Nevertheless, Cloud continued struggling—despite the burn he was getting on his wrists—hoping that he could somehow loosen the binds. After a few minutes, two men stopped in front of the teen and observed him. They turned to each other and began to talk.

"So what you suggest we do with 'im, boss?" The larger, more muscular of the two asked.

"I'm not sure. He looks kinda puny. Don't know what good he could be," the so-called boss answered.

"Then should we start interrogatin' 'im?"

"Yes. Best to find out what good he is information-wise." The boss turned to Cloud, a slight frown on his face. "You. Tell me your name, rank, and class status."

"Why should I tell you?" Cloud spat, glaring. He didn't like this situation one bit. He'd obviously fallen into the hands of an anti-ShinRa group, and they were already asking questions. Cloud knew already that his personal information could be used against him horribly if he told them.

"You'll tell me or I'll fuckin' blow your brains out right here," the boss said, producing a handgun.

"Like hell I'll tell you," Cloud continued, pressing his limits.

"Suit yourself. I really doubt ShinRa will miss you," the boss said moving to Cloud's side and placing the gun to his forehead. The man slowly cocked the gun.

"Cloud Strife, Private Second, C4," Cloud blurted. No, he just couldn't suck it up and die here, even if he really didn't want to live anymore. He had his mother to still worry about. He just couldn't die here that easily—she'd never know what happened to her son, the only person she really had left.

"That's a boy. Now, how old are you?"

"Fifteen, almost sixteen," Cloud answered, reluctantly. He was resigned to this fate. Maybe he'd make it out if he was obedient.

"Fuckin' getting younger these days, aren't they," the larger man said, a bit of sympathy crawling into his gaze.

"I heard ShinRa's trainin' a new division. Know anything?" the boss asked.

"They're chocobo mounted. That's all."

"Whoopie. Now, tell me what you know about the guard rotations at night."

"I don't know anything. I've never been on guard duty."

"Bull. You don't have to have been on duty to know the schedule. You're a private, you've bound to have snuck out to do something dirty or against the rules."

"I didn't, ok? I was one of the top ten in my class of cadets and I didn't do those kinds of things with the others! I've only just recently become a private."

"You're full of bull. You have to know somethin'."

"All I've been doing is grunt work the whole time."

"This kid's no use. Maybe we can record his execution on tape or somethin' and send it to ShinRa. Or maybe we can throw it to that marlboro we found the other week. See if it eats him," the boss said, stepping away from Cloud. The blond mentally sighed.

"Let's go with the marlboro. Best try it on a ShinRa guy, you know?"

"Yeah. I like that idea. Go get a couple more strong guys and take him down to it," the boss directed before leaving. The other man went off and came back a few moments later with two more men. They untied Cloud and held him by the arms and legs as they carried him further into the base. They stopped at a door. The third man opened it and Cloud was tossed in quickly. As soon as the teen was out of their hands, the door was slammed shut.

Before Cloud could even get up and bang on the door, he saw the marlboro. He scrambled to his feet and backed away, wary of the beast. It was small, only Cloud's height, probably meaning it was very young. Nevertheless, the creature made its way towards Cloud. Suddenly it opened its mouth and spewed gas from its maw. The pure stench alone shocked Cloud so much that he fainted.

 

-.-.-.-

 

AVALANCHE may have been a major threat to ShinRa Electric Company, but it wasn't a very well organized group. ShinRa had been investigating into ways to take them out for years. They had appeared when the second president ShinRa had been in power, threatening him for his increased oil and coal use. He'd made a switch to Mako, and AVALANCHE went away into the shadows for forty years, happy with the change to what they had thought was a cleaner running, more environmentally safe energy. It hadn't been what the group had originally wanted, but at least they weren't relying on that filthy fossil fuel anymore. Mako was one step up to them—at least, it had been at the time.

Reports started pouring in from independent scientists, elderly, and Cosmo Canyon that Mako was worse than any other possible energy source. ShinRa too had similar findings, but Mako was the smoothest, most efficient form of energy, despite the fact that everything died within a fifty-mile radius of the reactor. By this time the ShinRa guard had been well established and was quite feared by the surrounding people. The third president used this to his advantage and had the test results smudged and all others discredited.

AVALANCHE started operating again about the same time the SOLDIER program was in its beginning stages. One of the youngest members of the original group had taken it upon himself to reform the group. At the age of fifty-nine, the new leader of AVALANCHE planned the first violent strike against ShinRa in forty years.

By the time the fourth president of ShinRa took power, Sephiroth was five years old. By this point ShinRa Electric Company had been around for just over a hundred years and had managed to almost completely dominate the world. Only the farthest reaches were outside of the president's grasp. AVALANCHE was fighting full force—buildings were being bombed, guardsmen were killed while off duty, SOLDIERs were assassinated in their own homes. All movement ceased in AVALANCHE, however, when Sephiroth made his debut on the Wutai battlefield and defeated one eighth of the enemy fighters at the battle single-handedly.

After a few years, AVALANCHE reformed into the group it was presently. They were sloppy and very unorganized, a mockery of the original group; however, they apparently thought that they were doing their job well, despite being oh-so-very easy for Reno to slip past all the guards unnoticed. The current AVALANCHE was only around one hundred members strong, excluding civilian support. It was ShinRa's long history with the terrorist group that made this situation a very delicate one.

Reno found himself right over the room he wished to be in and loosened the screws on the air duct filter and screen. A putrid smell wafted up to greet him, but he ignored it. He dropped down and saw the marlboro before he saw Cloud. This caused an interesting complication. Reno made his way carefully around the marlboro to Cloud who was collapsed on the floor suffering from any number of ailments. Reno quickly pulled out his cell phone.

"Rude. We need a remedy, yo. Cloud's been in here with a marlboro for who knows how long. He's passed out," he said, picking the blond up.

"Is it a great marlboro?" Rude asked.

"Nah. I think it's a young one. It's about Cloud's size. Still, he looks a lot worse for wear. I'm getting out now."

"Right. I'll be waiting with a remedy then." As soon as his phone was back in his pocket, Reno threw Cloud over his shoulder and made his way back to the air duct. He understood just why Rude had called him in now. Rude was just big enough that he wouldn't fit in these ducts. The going was slower than the coming and took grand total of thirty minutes. It was too long for the Turk's tastes, but he'd had to deal with it.

As soon as he was a safe distance from the building, Rude appeared with the remedy. Cloud was placed down against the side of another building. Reno took the flask and pulled the cork out. He pressed the mouth of the bottle to Cloud's lips and forced the boy to drink. Only when it was all gone did Reno remove the flask from the teen's lips. He was already starting to look better.

"Come on. Let's get him back to the hotel."

 

-.-.-.-

 

When Cloud woke, the strange feeling of  _Where the fuck am I?_ washed over him. He felt around his bed, confused. He opened his eyes when he realized what might have happened, only to be greeted by darkness. He sat up, looking around, yet still couldn't see. When a hand reached out and grabbed his shoulder he spazzed, swiping at the assailant.

"Hey, hey! Cloud, it's Reno. It's just night, curtains are drawn, and you haven't quite recovered from that blind spell yet." Cloud only calmed down marginally at Reno's voice. The fact that it was Reno set off another set of alarm bells. Reno was a _pervert_. He was alone, in the dark night, with a  _pervert_.

"Get off me! Don't touch me!" he cried out, pulling his arm away and curling himself into a ball.

"Alright, alright. I won't touch you, jeez. Though you do owe me. I was doing something quite enjoyable when I got the call to come save your ass," Reno said, shifting on the bed.

"Just shut up and go away," Cloud hissed, glaring at where he felt Reno on the bed.

"Can't do that. You were in a room with a marlboro. We can't be too sure about your condition until a few more hours have gone by, even though you've taken a remedy. Sometimes they have longer lasting effects."

"I'm fine. I'm awake and I'd think I'd know what was wrong with me."

"So claims the boy who probably can't even see me in the dark yet. I'm the  _other_  direction, hun."

"Shut up!" Cloud cried, snapping his head in the other direction. He reached out to shove at the body, only to meet air. Reno began laughing, only for Cloud to make a direct hit to his head when he swung the other direction.

"Anyway," Reno started when he got his laughter under control, "would you mind telling me what exactly happened? Before and during your restraint. Just so we have it on record for future reference."

"I was hungry so I decided to go under the plate. Restaurants up here won't serve me. When I was down there I met this guy who said he was with ShinRa and we talked for a little while… After that, I left and walked around the shopping district. When I left one of the shops, I got pulled into an alley. Next thing I know I… I was tied to a chair and after a while they were interrogating me… and…" Cloud gripped himself tighter.

"And what?" Reno urged, shifting.

"They have my information. I-I tried to refuse, but they stuck a gun to my head. I didn't want to die. They know my name, rank and class. I told them what I knew about the new division in the guard. I'm fucked over, aren't I?" Cloud blurted out, speaking fast enough that it was rather hard for Reno to understand.

"Relax, bud. Most of the information on the chocobo mounted troops isn't classified. And as for your info, we'll block what you can do on your own for a while. I don't think your C.O.s will condone you for giving up information with a gun to your head at your age, yo," Reno comforted.

"What time is it?" Cloud asked quietly.

"Almost four. It took Rude almost an hour and a half to track you down and figure out he wasn't capable of getting you out. Took me another hour and a half to get down there and work through that damn maze to get you out. We had you back here by here by eleven."

"Can you… I want to be alone so, can you just…" Cloud murmured, burying his head in his knees. Reno sighed and nodded.

"Alright, I'll get out, but I'm in the living room if you need me. And you won't be going to the slums again, got it?"

Cloud only made a grunting noise as Reno stood and exited.

 

-.-.-.-

 

Zack stood patiently in front of the Loveless Theater, waiting for the almighty general. There were still quite a few people in line to get tickets at the door, despite the fact the show would be starting in a little over twenty minutes. Zack checked the time on his hand set one more time before deciding that Sephiroth must have gotten held up somewhere in the ShinRa building. Just as he turned to get in line for tickets, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"You're late Seph," Zack said, pushing the older's shoulder playfully. Sephiroth gave Zack a rather disapproving look.

"I was not aware that getting here twenty minutes before the start of the play was late."

"Yeah, well, some people get here a lot earlier to make sure they don't lose their seats."

"I rest you assured that we will not lose our seats. I do not think it even crossed their minds," Sephiroth pointed out as he walked past Zack into the theater. Zack jogged to catch up with the man. The silveret pulled the tickets from his coat pocket and presented them to the ticket collector. The stubs were returned to him and they made their way to the balcony.

"So did you have any luck finding out anything about the grunt?" Zack asked as they took their seats.

"I have not. Looking will do me little good without a name and there are too many in the guard to search that way."

"Yeah I guess so," Zack agreed. The two fell into silence as the theater began to darken and the play started. They didn't stand or really move, even when intermission came. They used the time to think, to evaluate the play and Genesis. Sephiroth was the first to stand, and even then it was only after everyone else in the theater had gone.

"Are you hungry?" Sephiroth asked as they walked out of the building and into the cooling night air.

"Not really. I grabbed a bite to eat before going to the theater," Zack replied. From there, the two walked silently for a few minutes.

"Once," Sephiroth started, breaking the silence, "I went to that theater with Genesis and Angeal. It was back when it first opened. Genesis had been excited about a theater dedicated to his favorite work and dragged us to see the play there during their second set of performances **.** But he did not like the way that they portrayed it. When the director of the play asked him his thoughts later that evening, Angeal made him grin and tell them a lie, so he wouldn't upset his fans."

"Really? That seems like Angeal. He never really seemed to care about his fan club much, though," Zack said, looking at the General. He had an almost faraway look in his eyes, along with a few other fleeting emotions that Zack couldn't grasp. Soon enough, Sephiroth's eyes were back to normal.

"He also was not as open with his likes as Genesis was with Loveless. That made Genesis have to learn how to keep them happy."

"Ah. I see," Zack said, turning to look forward. They were nearing the entrance to the ShinRa building. First Class SOLDIERs and top executives called the ShinRa building home, while lower ranking SOLDIER, the guard, and the army all lived in one of two buildings built nearby. As they entered the lobby and headed towards the elevators, Zack winked to the receptionist. She blushed in return, causing Zack to stifle a chuckle.

When the elevator arrived, the two SOLDIERs stepped in together and pressed the buttons for their respective floors. Zack leaned back against the glass and looked out to the side. When he grew tired of the view he turned to look at the door. Once again, he was met with the view of Sephiroth, rather up close and personal, their lips only an inch apart.

"I thought you said you weren't interested in me," Zack said, a slight frown of confusion taking over his face.

"I wouldn't say I wasn't interested, but more that I am interested in that boy more than you."

"Really? You shouldn't waste time with me then."

"You've changed since he left," Sephiroth murmured, closing the distance between the two of them. Their lips met in a short, rather chaste kiss.

"Yeah. I have," Zack breathed, leaning up ever so slightly to connect their lips again.

"I don't think Angeal would approve of you sleeping around," Sephiroth chided, placing his arms on Zack's hips. The teen slipped his arms around Sephiroth's neck.

"Yeah. I know. But it's easier to cope this way," Zack said, leaning into another kiss. "There's a saying: 'The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.' 'Sides, I have always liked you."

"Mm. I see," Sephiroth murmured, taking Zack's lips again and pressing closer.

"Your room or mine?"


	5. Chapter 5

Zack snuggled into Sephiroth's chest—or at least tried to before he was pushed away. He pouted and sat up in the bed, allowing the sheets to fall from his naked form. With mock stealth, he climbed onto the general's hips and pounded lightly on his chest. Sephiroth growled warningly, one arm over his eyes.

"Seph, it's been three months. I'd think the _least_  you'd let me do is snuggle in post cotial bliss," Zack protested. Sephiroth groaned and shifted beneath Zack.

" _Don't_  call me Seph. It's annoying. And I do not  _snuggle_  with people who don't have any long term relationship plans with me," Sephiroth grumbled.

"Fine! It's only been three months. I've committed, but I guess you haven't, Mister General," Zack huffed, removing himself from Sephiroth's hips.

"I'm not the one who is still actively fucking Reno, trying to get Cissnei in bed, screwing a secretary and doing Gaia knows how many other people," Sephiroth snarled.

"Hey, last time I fucked Reno was two months ago. No right to get bitchy about that one. Besides, you're sleeping with your secretary, and I've seen you pick up a few cadets and SOLDIERs and bring them back here. You can't complain. This is an open relationship. We aren't bound to sex with just each other."

"Touche, but I am not sleeping with the number of people you are, and I stick to men."

"Alright. Alright. You win. I won't snuggle you," Zack said, defeat looming over his shoulders. He crawled to the farthest corner of the bed and curled up.

"Zachary," Sephiroth sighed.

"I get it, ok? I'll cut the number down. It just can't be too suddenly. People will get suspicious," Zack said, snuggling into his pillow.

"What made them suspicious in the first place was when you started fucking half of ShinRa," Sephiroth bit out, although it was a little harsher than he'd intended.

"You know, for a guy that is so damn socially awkward, you're an ass in bed," Zack bit back. He sat up and swung his legs over the edge.

"I wouldn't have to be if you'd respect my personal space and wish for you to act with more fidelity," Sephiroth grumbled, his arm still over his face.

"Well, maybe I wouldn't need others if it wasn't for the fact that it's a bitch trying to get you hard and in the mood. And it really doesn't help when you're still obsessed over that grunt!" Sephiroth refrained from replying to that, knowing it was true-at least the last part.

"I bet you imagine I'm him when you're fucking me," Zack continued. "I'm just a long term replacement for him, aren't I?"

"Do you pretend I'm Angeal?" Sephiroth asked, finally removing his arm. He looked at Zack's back. Zack stayed silent for a long moment. A shiver ran down his spine and he gripped his arms.

"No. No, I don't. I can't. You're the only one that I let penetrate me that I don't try to pretend is Angeal," Zack finally answered, his voice a whisper.

"Zack," Sephiroth said, turning on his side.

"I love him, and all. But it's hard, you know? I don't want to give up hope, but as I'm fighting and fighting, it's becoming more clear that I wasn't enough for him. He's going to choose Genesis over me, so I wanted to see if I could make him jealous. But, damn it Seph, you're more than those trists, ok? You're almost as important to me as Angeal."

"Zachary, come here," Sephiroth demanded softly.

"Don' wanna," Zack mumbled, standing up.

"Zachary Fair. Sit your ass back down and…  _snuggle_  with me," Sephiroth commanded again, spitting out the word snuggle as if it were some terrible thing. Zack looked back at Sephiroth with saddened eyes before finally conceding to the general. He crawled across the bed slowly and positioned himself so that his head was in the crook of Sephiroth's neck.

"I'm sorry, too. You weren't being the only ass, and I started it," Zack apologized, nuzzling into Sephiroth's neck.

"Just be quiet and get this out of your system. You know I'm going to be gone a week for the last of the Wutai Peace Talks," Sephiroth said, sighing and pulling Zack close.

"Fuck. Already? Do you think you can get it up again?"

"You want to fuck? I thought you wanted to snuggle. You can only have one, and I don't feel like getting it up again."

"That is not fair! I'm not going to see you for a week at least and you're not gonna give me goodbye sex? What am I going to do without you? I'm going to be so horny it won't even be funny," Zack whined, wrapping his leg around Sephiroth's hips.

"Go fuck Reno. I am sure he has a lot of stamina."

"But I crave you. You're like a drug, you know? If you're gonna go, I wanna have another hit."

"Zachary, the reason you have such a hard time getting me hard is not that I have some kind of problem. It is because the head between my legs does not command the head that rests on my shoulders. And before you act like a smart aleck, I am not talking about your head. I have to leave early tomorrow, so sleep, Zachary."

"Seph, you're a jackass."

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud paced nervously in his temporary quarters. They'd moved him into another room that was shared by five of his commanding officers once the investigation into his rape had commenced. They had covered up the real reason the boys had been arrested by sending in a drug search team to tear their barracks apart. The charges just grew from there as quite a few had illegal substances. Cloud had been moved from the barracks to protect him against further assault, since they had pegged him as the snitch.

However, over the months the blond had managed to get back on better terms with the others, though not through his own effort. The teen had shut down to the public eye. He was operating on autopilot during normal activities and training and it was rare that anyone was able to hear Cloud's voice. He walked down the halls with his head down and only appeared when it was absolutely necessary. He'd lost weight and was dangerously close to breaking all conduct rules when dealing with commanding officers. The blond's psychiatrist could barely even draw a word from him.

Reno watched Cloud pace while sitting on one of the bunks. Just because Cloud had been released to his COs didn't mean that the Turk's job was over. He was left to watch Cloud during times when no one else would be around and make sure that he was properly medicated. Cloud had been placed on a suicide watch the moment it was discovered that Cloud sent almost all of his paycheck to his mother rather than buy a refill to his prescription. It hadn't taken much digging after that discovery to find that Cloud had left the prescription untouched since he'd returned to ShinRa.

"Cool it, will you? It's going to be alright. Only, like, what, two hours left until we start the end of this. And then you can rest easy for the rest of your career here. I'm gonna make damn sure those fuckers are gonna get it up the ass sometime during the first week in jail, yo. And they will get jail time. The drug charges on top of rape and multiple rape assists are gonna get them a good few years. By the time they're out, you'll be so butch that you can knock 'em down dead, yo."

Cloud stopped in his tracks and stared at Reno for a moment before turning around swiftly and climbing up to his bunk. He settled himself on his side, facing the wall. A single heavy sigh escaped the blond's lips as he let the different scenarios run threw his mind. Reno groaned from down below.

"Fuck it, kid. You gotta cheer up, yo. If you don't I'll come up there and make you. It's not a crime if I decide to crawl up there and jack you off."

"Leave me alone, Reno. You're just making me more nervous."

"There is nothing to be scared of, yo! You go in, sit your ass on the fuckin' chair and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, or so fucking help you mother fucking Gaia. Then they ask you questions and you answer. The boys won't do anything to you because they'll be in restraints and guarded by Rude and another one of our trusted Turk friends. The room will be empty with the exception of the judge, the small select jury of First Class SOLDIERs and top rank Turks, the defendants, their lawyer, you, me, Rude, Cissnei and your lawyer. This is top of the line protection for you, Cloud."

"And what happens after the trial?" Cloud was almost certain that they were going to ship him off to Wutai. It was almost certain that a guy like him would get killed there, permanently erasing the threat of Cloud causing trouble for them later.

"You'll get a new start. I'm pretty sure that they're setting it up so you can work with the new cadets as inspiration or something. They totally wouldn't think that a guy like you made it through the ranks, yo," Reno teased, a large smile overtaking his lips. Cloud simply glared down at him for a brief moment before shifting his eyes back to the wall. " 'Sides, they wanna keep you from your peers for a good while so they can blow off steam."

"Yeah. Right, whatever," Cloud said, letting his tone fall dead. Reno frowned, not liking where Cloud's mood was going.

"Seriously, cheer up, yo. It's only going to be worse later if you keep up like this."

 

-.-.-.-.-

 

"Do you  _only_  come down here when you have nothing better to do?" Aerith questioned, looking sternly at Zack.

"Well, I wouldn't put it that way," Zack laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, I come down here when 'there is nothing better to do' because no one is in the way to stop me. It's not like I come as a last resort; it's just hard trying to explain that you can't do something because you're going to visit your girl in the slums. They'd  _totally_ get the wrong impression."

"I guess you're right," Aerith sighed, a smile beginning to form on her lips. "But I still wouldn't mind it if you'd at least say that you've got a date with someone important and come, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, but it's kinda hard to do that. Most guys in SOLDIER don't take relationships outside ShinRa very seriously unless there's a ring on the finger. They'd probably think you were some kind of fling or something."

"Really, now? And how do  _I_ know that I'm really not a fling?" Aerith asked, leaning forward on her tippytoes to look Zack in the eyes.

"Gaia, Aerith. If you were just a fling I wouldn't be here right now, put off by the fact that we hadn't had sex yet." Aerith wrinkled her nose disapprovingly at him. "But, I swear, you're so much more than that to me. You're like an angel that I just want to catch and tie down, if only just to gaze at your beauty. I want to give you pretty things and make you smile. Heck, give me enough time, and I might want to put a ring on your finger."

Zack's arms had gently encircled Aerith's waist as he spoke, pulling her close in his secure embrace. He slowly leaned down and pecked her lips only for Aerith to press back. He deepened the kiss, asking for entrance with his tongue. Aerith obliged, albeit a little hesitantly.

The fact that his blatant lies could and most certainly would come back to bite Zack in the ass was the least of Zack's worries at the moment. He'd decided to keep going after Aerith, even though she was in the slums and low class. Most people in the slums openly hated him for being a part of ShinRa, and that made it especially dangerous for him to trek down to the old crumbling church to see her.

When they broke apart, Aerith looked straight into Zack's eyes, a small smile on her lips. "Well, aren't you a sweet talker? But if you really mean it, I want a wheelbarrow."

"A wheelbarrow, huh? I'll see what I can do. But first, do you want to go do something tonight?"

 

-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud was escorted to the stand and was sworn in. He looked nervously out at the others in the room-more nervous than when he was trying to hide his rape. The five teens that had been responsible were each sending him rather dirty looks. He shrunk back into himself, trying to shield himself. They had already had their turn at the stand, each reeling off spiel about how they were entitled to it, how it wasn't like they were unjustified—how if Cloud were classified like he was supposed to be, like the bastard he was, they wouldn't have any problem at all.

"Strife, I understand that you did not have a father in your home," the defense attorney asked, being first up. Cloud looked away from the man, but his stare still bore into the teen.

"That is correct," Cloud answered, just loud enough to satisfy the rest of the people in the room.

"And your mother is Class F, is she not?"

"That is correct."

"Do you know who your father is, Strife?"

"No."

"Then why is it that you are Class C? If your mother is Class F then it implies she's a prostitute, and there would be no possible way of knowing who your father is. Therefore it makes no sense that you are a C Class."

"My mother is not a whore. She had me when she was a still a teenager and couldn't work because of it. And as for my father… She knows who he is, she just refuses to tell me more than his first name."

"Well, he must have been pretty high class if you weren't born D or F. Or maybe your mother was lying?"

"She wasn't! All anyone would ever tell me was that he worked for ShinRa."

"ShinRa, huh? A likely story. But even if you say that, you should have been classified in accordance to your mother's class. Your father obviously wants nothing to do with you."

"Shut up!" Cloud snapped; his protests until that moment had been weak, barely audible, but now his voice was almost at shouting level. Everyone stared at the blond, stunned. "You don't know  _anything_  about what I went through! I may be a Class C but I've always been treated like F4! You don't  _know_  what it's like to be treated like trash even by the  _real_  trash! I've handled a lot of shit until now and I've let it go unreported. I haven't let it really get to me, but the  _things_  those  _bastards did_ to me! The words you're spilling off to me now, what they're saying—every word you're saying, it nestles its way into my mind. I'm sure if my commanding officers hadn't have intervened, I would be dead right now; because of the things they'd tell me, of the things they  _did_  and  _made_ me do! I'm strong, but  _no one_  can survive beatings like that!"

Cloud shuddered, regaining his breath with deep inhalations. Tears had managed to well up, but he proved strong enough to not cry--or at least not until he was alone and away from Reno's prying eyes. He gently brushed the tears from his eyes before looking back up at the others in the room. "Don't I at least deserve a chance to prove myself? Don't I at least deserve justice for the shit they've done to me?" the blond asked weakly.

"No further questions, your honor," the defense attorney said, a bit stunned by the sudden outburst.

"I believe the kid has said everything that needs to be said, so I won't cross examine him," Cloud's lawyer said, standing as the other moved to sit.

"Alright then, jury, you may go make your decision. Cloud, you may go back and sit with your lawyer," the judge said, waving the small jury out.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-

 

It was only thirty minutes before the jury returned with a guilty verdict and the judge sentenced Cloud's assailants to six years in jail—two for drug possession, two for rape, and two for assisting in multiple rapes. Knowing this, however, did not cure Cloud of any of his insecurities. Instead, he was sure every eye was on him as he walked down the halls as if he were the subject of all the latest gossip. Reno was at his side as he walked back his room. The redhead didn't dare speak to the blond. After he'd snapped in the courtroom, everyone had shut up. The defense knew they couldn't compete with that, and it wasn't like it was a secret to anyone in the room who Cloud's father was.

Cloud's father was the only reason any of this was happening in the first place. All the First Class SOLDIER in the room knew the boy's father personally, and the Turks that were in the room had all at least worked with the man before, but damned if anyone was allowed to tell the man that his C Classed abandoned son was working for the same company.

So Cloud would go on blissfully unaware to just who his father was exactly and concentrate on rising as far as he could in the ShinRa Guard. That's the way they planned for it to work out, anyway. Cloud seemed to be drooping more than he had for the past three months and his morale to continue on had seemingly dropped. Reno didn't want to leave the blond alone.

"You ok?" Reno asked cautiously.

"Not really. I'm just relived everything went through. I just want to be alone for a while," Cloud said, his voice more quiet and subdued since he didn't have to make it louder. Reno sighed heavily before catching the blond by his shoulder.

"I really don't want to, but I guess you really need it, yo. Just don't do anything stupid, ok?"

"Fine," Cloud mumbled, pulling away from Reno. The blond continued down the hall until he was out of sight. Reno shook his head and turned towards the elevators. After pushing the button, he looked around the small waiting area, taking in the few people that were moving around. Zack was indisposed as of the moment and no one else of particularly strong interest was hanging around. Rude was taking a personal day, leaving even that option dead.

The bell dinged and the doors opened, allowing Reno to step into the elevator. He moved to push the close button but a hand moved over the doors. He followed the hand and arm back to its owner's body. He raised an eyebrow but, nevertheless, stepped back.

"What brings you here?" The redhead asked, leaning against the glass.

"Why aren't you following Cloud?" Cissnei asked, crossing her arms in front of her. "He's not exactly popular with the other grunts right now." The doors closed behind Cissnei as Reno hit the button for the Turk floor, swiping his card.

"What I don't get is why we need to protect him twenty-four-seven now that the trial's over. I may be concerned about him, but it's not my place to cover his ass every time he runs into another grunt, yo."

"But isn't he the son of a higher up?"

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure his father wouldn't care if anything happened to him. After all, Cloud is C Class. We just gotta let 'im go, yo. He won't be able to recover if we keep sheltering him like we have. It's time he really gets over all this crap and faces reality."

"I suppose you're right."

 

-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud carefully entered the chocobo stables that had just been finished for the mounted troops. He figured that if anyone were to look for him, the stables would be the last place they would look. He'd had a far off fascination for the behemoth birds but had never taken any initiative to actively seek one out. Maybe the birds could help him calm his nerves.

Carefully, the blond approached one of the stalls. There were ten in all but only two actually had birds in them. As Cloud touched the door, the chocobo within perked up, letting out a rather loud "Wark!" before coming up to him. He carefully extended his hand to pet the deep yellow feathers of the creature. The bird pressed into his hand, giving him small kwehs of approval. The feathers were unexpectedly soft, not quite unlike his own locks. The chocobo leaned down and nuzzled its face into the grunt's hair before nipping it in its beak in a grooming behavior.

Cloud jerked away, slightly surprised by the action, but returned after the creature let off a disappointed cry. The bird nuzzled into his hair again and kwehed appreciatively. He felt oddly comforted by the bird, as if he'd found a place where he wasn't the odd one out, though he had to suppose that that was just because chocobos were known to be excellent judges of character and picky with whom they liked.

A few of the bastards that had raped him had been in the new division and he wondered if the giant birds allowed them to mount or not. The image of them trying to climb on, only to get bucked off, was amusing, causing a small smile to form on Cloud's lips. He played with the little fantasy more, extending it to where they weren't merely thrown, but trampled on as well. The chocobo, as if sensing Cloud's thoughts, warked loudly and flapped its wings. Cloud's smile grew slightly as he reached up to stroke the bird's neck.

"You think that idea's funny too? Did you hate them as well? I hope they really suffer while they're behind bars," Cloud murmured. The bird knocked heads with him, cooing. Cloud chuckled lightly, feeling better. Maybe, just maybe, he could pull through everything ok and make it to a higher rank.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Sephiroth felt absolutely dirty. No—dirty didn't even begin to describe how he felt. He had spent the better half of a week locked in a room staring down the ruler of Wutai while sitting next to Rufus Shinra. No baths, no shower, barely time to use the toilet, and very little blinking. All he wanted to do at the moment was shower and fuck something hard and fast into a bed. Preferably that blond grunt he'd become so enamored with, but it was more likely that he'd end up screwing Zack.

Instead of heading back to his own quarters, he marched towards the bubbly SOLDIER's. He'd commandeer Zack's shower then shove him to the bed and fuck him 'til the cows came home. The silveret didn't bother knocking since he had his own set of keys. He pushed the door open and made his way into the apartment. His keen hearing immediately picked up the sound of light pants and suppressed moans, slurping sounds and humming. So Zack had company. It didn't matter to Sephiroth, he'd just toss whoever it was.

He marched swiftly into the bedroom of the apartment. Reno, who was conveniently lacking pants and underwear but still bore his shirt, was sucking off Zack, who still had pants but no shirt. Sephiroth watched them for a moment, debating whether or not to let them continue and take a shower since they were obviously still oblivious to his presence, or to stop them now. Letting them continue had the advantage of pulling them out of an even more awkward position, but he decided against it. The general was too impatient for that and jacking off was not his style.

Sephiroth took two long strides to the bed and grabbed Reno by the ponytail. Zack whimpered as the mouth was pried away and the redhead yelped.

"What the—" Reno started as he looked back at Sephiroth. His words died in his mouth, however, as he took in who had actually interrupted them. The Turk smiled sheepishly. "Oh, hey there, Sephiroth. Didn't think you'd be back 'til tomorrow, yo." At the mention of the general's name, Zack bolted straight up.

"Seph? Fuck, seriously, you're early?" the SOLDIER asked surprised. "Why didn't you  _call_?"

"I was not aware that I was required to inform a fling of my return," Sephiroth said, voice neutral. Zack picked up the dangerous glint in the General's eyes, however, and knew that he'd probably stepped a little farther over the line than he should have.

"Uh… well, I  _am_  cutting down the number of people I'm sleeping with at least?" Zack said sheepishly.

"Reno, get the fuck out of here. I have plans for what Zack will be doing all night and you aren't in them," Sephiroth all but snarled at the Turk.

"Hey, come on, doesn't a threesome sound just as good? I was  _really_  hoping to get laid and doing it with you would totally make my life worth living," Reno pleaded. Sephiroth's eyebrow quirked the tiniest bit, so minute a movement that only Zack's enhanced vision could catch it.

"Get out now, before I kick you out a window." Reno yelped and dived for his pants.

"Geez. See if you can make any lover stick around with an attitude like that," Reno grumbled just as he finished zipping his pants. When the words finished leaving his mouth, he was already running out the bedroom. Sephiroth turned a glare at the retreating form but didn't bother following after him.

"Get up, Zack," Sephiroth commanded, grabbing Zack's arm.

"What? Why?" Zack demanded to know, resisting slightly, but still going along with the General.

"You are going to help me wash the filth from my hair then give me a blow job. Then we will come back in here and I'll fuck you until you can not walk in the morning," Sephiroth stated, matter-of-factly.

"Are you… that horny?" Zack asked in disbelief, allowing himself to be dragged into his bathroom and shoved into the shower. Sephiroth quickly stripped down.

"Yes. I am," Sephiroth growled, pushing Zack into the wall and locking his lips with Zack's. One arm wound around the younger's waist as the other turned the water on. He adjusted the temperature to as hot as it'd go before bringing his hand to Zack's nipple. Zack wantonly pressed his hips forward, grinding into Sephiroth's stiffening member. The silveret groaned throatily, removing his hand from Zack's nipple and moving to reach for the shampoo.

"Seph, can't we just skip to the sex?" Zack whined, thrusting his hips and rubbing against Sehiroth's thigh.

"I said you would help clean my hair and you'll do it. This better be a new bottle," Sephiroth said, his voice becoming serious. "Hands out," he commanded. Zack obeyed and placed his hands out expectantly. The general squeezed a generous amount of the bottle into his hands. "Get on your knees and start from the bottom. We will meet in the middle. And work it in good, I haven't showered in a week."

Zack chuckled lightly but followed the instructions. When he was on his knees, Sephiroth stepped out from the brunt of the shower spray with his back towards Zack. The silveret poured shampoo into his own hands and began massaging it into his scalp. Zack began working from the tips up. He worked faster than Sephiroth, but much slower than what he would spend on his own hair.

When Zack reached the mid point of Sephiroth's hair he stopped and slid his arms around the man's torso. He nuzzled into the general's back, not caring that he was getting suds in his hair. The teen allowed his hands to wander lower. He gripped Sephiroth's cock in his hand and began to stroke it slowly.

"You know, your body just drives me so crazy, Seph. Your big cock, your perfect muscles, your long flowing hair. I swear I can get hard just by limiting myself to only being able to see just one part of you," Zack moaned. Sephiroth groaned and thrust shallowly into Zack's hand. The larger man finished lathering his hair and turned around. He nudged Zack backwards against the wall so that he was under the spray.

"Stand up and work the suds out of my hair," Sephiroth commanded with a smooth voice that didn't allude to his arousal at all. Zack grinned and pulled himself up. The younger pressed himself close to Sephiroth as he reached up and buried his hands in the general's locks. He knew he should have felt extremely honored that he got to touch the man's hair like he did. If anything, Sephiroth was most OCD about his hair. They'd used half of his bottle of shampoo and he was sure there wouldn't even be conditioner left after the shower.

Sephiroth leaned down and locked lips with the younger. Immediately, he bit on Zack's bottom lip and pulled it into his mouth to suck on. Zack moaned loudly into the kiss as he began to massage the suds from Sephiroth's hair. The silveret took the opportunity to slip his tongue into Zack's mouth. When he was satisfied with his hair, Sephiroth broke the heated kiss and shoved Zack back down to his knees.

"Suck me," He commanded, the slightest bit of lust leaking into his voice. Zack moaned wantonly and leaned forward, licking the tip of the General's cock. He took it gently by the base as he sucked the head into his mouth. Slowly, Zack took in more of the shaft, applying hard suction. He pulled back after only going down halfway, flicking his tongue into the slit on the top. Swirling his tongue around the head, he slowly took the member back in. He relaxed his throat and swallowed as much as he could.

Sephiroth groaned, reaching for the body wash. He squeezed some amount out, he didn't pay attention to how much, and lathered it quickly in his hands before beginning to spread the foam over his body. Zack hummed, causing a shockwave to go throughout Sephiroth. The General lost his control momentarily as he thrust into Zack's mouth. Sephiroth allowed the spray of the shower to remove the suds before grabbing Zack by the hair. Roughly, he jerked Zack's head back, away from his cock.

"Get out and go prepare yourself on the bed," the silveret barked out, reaching to turn off the shower. Zack licked his lips as he stood up and left the shower. He didn't bother grabbing a towel on the way out and made himself at home on the bed. Sephiroth wrung his hair out three times before stepping out of the shower and grabbing the nearest towel. He carefully toweled as much water from his hair out as he could. It didn't matter if their bodies were dry or not, but the general's wet hair could soak the bed through, and he didn't feel like sleeping on a waterlogged bed.

As soon as he was satisfied, the silveret moved into the bedroom. Zack was sprawled on the bed, his face in a pillow, ass in the air and three fingers inserted into his hole. Sephiroth groaned at the sight and took three long strides to the bed. He leaned forward and bit Zack's ear.

"You know, you make me want to fuck you so hard that you'll bleed when you do it like that," Sephiroth breathed hotly into Zack's ear.

"Oh  _gawd_ , please do," Zack moaned, thrusting back on his fingers. Sephiroth grabbed the younger's hand and removed the fingers swiftly. The ravenet whimpered at the loss but Sephiroth merely slapped him on the ass as he positioned himself. The older pushed into Zack with one hard thrust. Zack cried out, not expecting Sephiroth to push in without using lube. Sephiroth stayed only a moment before pulling out to the head and slamming back in to the hilt. Zack cried out again, pushing back against his lover.

"You like this? You are a slut. A fucking whore. Do you like the way my cock feels inside you?" Sephiroth growled into Zack's ear.

"Fuck  _yes. YES._ I love it.  _Move damn it. Faster!_ " Zack screamed, thrusting back on Sephiroth. The older grinned slightly and pulled out completely. He flipped the young first class over and reached for the bedside table. He pulled out a rope, something Zack no doubt kept around for an occasion as such. A small, dark smile pulled on Sephiroth's lips.

"When I was in Wutai for long months, I learned how to tie bondage ropes," the older said, desire dripping from his voice. Zack moaned at the thought of being tied up.

"What brought this on? You aren't normally this… kinky," Zack moaned as Sephiroth began to tie Zack up in the bondage ropes.

"I feel like torturing someone," was the General's only response. He tightened the ropes one last time and settled himself between Zack's widespread legs. He lifted Zack up and shoved back in, causing a scream from Zack. The ropes tightened their grip on him as he flexed, causing him to buck onto Sephiroth. Said silveret grinned, proceeding to pound into Zack, occasionally changing his angle in search of Zack's prostate. When he found the spot, the scream Zack emitted was enough to almost drive Sephiroth over the edge.

Sephiroth sped his pace as he grabbed the younger's cock. The combined sensations sent Zack tumbling over the edge, causing Sephiroth to follow shortly after. The silveret thrust shallowly for a few more moments before allowing himself to collapse on top of Zack. He waited a few more moments before pulling out of the boy and rolling onto his back. Zack moaned contently and snuggled into the General's side.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Sephiroth carefully peeled Zack away from his body. He didn't want to wake the SOLDIER when he could possibly get another two hours of sleep before having to get up for morning drills and training. Stealthily, he slinked his way into the bathroom where he took Zack's brush. He then headed into the living room and seated himself on the couch. His hair was a tangled mess from his neglect and last night's activities, so he proceeded to brush it out slowly. It was an hour's work at best since he was sure some of the tangles were in places he couldn't reach.

They had gone another two rounds before either was tired enough to call it quits for the night, and the third round had resulted in scratches and hickeys all over Sephiroth's neck and back. Zack had almost pulled a chunk of his hair out, which didn't leave too good a taste in Sephiroth's mouth, but he would put up with it. The boy was Angeal's puppy and there was just something about him that said he needed attention from someone like Sephiroth.

The General was working out the last of the tangles in his hair when Zack appeared in the living room, stark naked and scratching at himself. The SOLDIER stretched, popping several vertebra as well as his shoulder. Zack grinned contentedly and moved to sit by Sephiroth on the couch.

"Last night was almost backbreaking," he cooed, nuzzling himself into Sephiroth's arms. "That was the first time we've fucked more than once in a night. It was nice. I'm sore as hell, but I don't think I mind the abuse."

"I doubt that we will be doing such things again for a long while. I received a text message from Lazard about a mission they want me to go on," Sephiroth said, pulling Zack close for the inevitable cuddling session Zack would fight for.

"Really? What kind of mission?" Zack asked, looking up into Sephiroth's eyes.

"Some Genesis clones have been sighted in the area surrounding Gongaga—more specifically a village about one hundred miles out from Gongaga. It is the biggest in the area and has a Reactor."

"Gongaga, huh? You goin' alone?"

"I replied to Lazard asking to bring you. You were born in that region and will be more helpful to me than the natives. Besides, we have to pass by Gongaga to reach the village we must get to. I can arrange a short stop for a visit with your parents," Sephiroth explained, his voice dull and seemingly uninterested.

"Are you shitting me? Seph, man, you're the best!" Zack called, pulling away to get a better look at the General, then hurtled himself forward. He gripped Sephiroth tightly, nuzzling into the man's bare chest.

"We leave tonight at eight. We will be traveling by helicopter. We will pass over Gongaga around dawn. You'll have to keep your visit short, Zack. We have important business to attend to."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it," Zack said, grinning. He pulled back from the silveret again, this time standing up. "I'm all pumped up now, so I think I'll go get dressed and do some training before packing my bag."

"Good. A smart idea. Tire yourself out, I'm not looking forward to dealing with a hyper Zachary Fair while in a confined space for hours." Zack laughed off Sephiroth's words and headed into the bedroom to get dressed. After he'd donned his uniform, he headed for the door. Sephiroth remained curled on the couch, only nodding a farewell for the time being.

Zack immediately headed for the training room on the forty-ninth floor, cheerily greeting any ShinRa employees he'd run into on the way down. A few made comments about how cheerful he was at five in the morning, but he paid them no mind. The training room was empty—the whole floor was deserted with the exception of a few other early birds and no doubt Lazard, who was in his office. The young SOLDIER headed to the control panel of the hologram program. He put it to the highest setting, which consequently had the greatest chance of encountering the Sephiroth program. He didn't care though. A fight with Sephiroth, whether a hologram or not, was always a challenge. The ravenet stepped into the hologram room and let the program begin.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Sephiroth was done with all of his preparations for the trip by eight o'clock. He'd made his way down to Lazard's office for a more detailed account of what he was to be doing on the mission, but the man hadn't made the situation much clearer. As a result, Sephiroth found himself wandering down the halls that the grunts and SOLDIER cadets were trained. Zack was in charge of a small group of men himself, and was probably working their asses off. The General found the thought amusing and thusly decided to drop in and observe the boys. Once he located the proper training room, he silently ducked inside. None of Zack's underlings noticed his presence, which he preferred for the moment. Zack, however, knew that he'd entered, but carefully kept his face the same.

The six boys in the room were all between the ages of eleven and fourteen, providing a large enough age gap between them and Zack. SOLDIER started training younger these days. Boys left home and started training at around eleven at the earliest but would stay in the cadet program until at least the age of fourteen or after two years as a cadet, whichever came last. It was during these cadet years that the younger boys would be closely observed to see if they weren't more fit for another area of the ShinRa defense sector. Occasionally a boy would be recruited into the Turks, where the starting service age was far lower—as young as thirteen in some cases.

Zack had been one of those boys. He'd come to ShinRa at the age of twelve and immediately rose to the top of the charts. He was hand chosen by Angeal upon officially entering SOLDIER. Zack was impressive in his fighting capabilities, among other things, and Angeal had taken that raw ability and pulled it to fruition. Sephiroth had known of Zack the moment the teen had hit number one cadet and that Zack would be nowhere near SOLDIER First without Angeal.

The thought of Angeal caused the discomfort and longing to see his best friends to grow. He'd gained the affections of Zack, but at the price of the two people that he'd held dearest—the only two that deeply understood him. He watched the boys spar with their wooden swords with sorrow. They joked and laughed after a 'kill', much like he'd done with Genesis and Angeal (only with much more reserve) when they were young.

The General decided it was high time he'd made his presence known. He stepped more fully into the room and onto the training mats. The children dropped everything they were doing as soon as they noticed the godlike air of the General and saluted. Zack chuckled from behind them.

"Smooth, Seph. Way to scare the twerps shitless," Zack joked, clapping one of the boys on the shoulder rough enough to shove him forwards. "So what brings the almighty Sephiroth down to watch the cadets?"

"I have come to observe them. I was curious as to how far they've come with an instructor as attention deficient as themselves," Sephiroth said coolly, scanning over the cadets rather than looking at Zack.

"Hey. I'm not that bad anymore. Anyway, do you see any promise in my men, sir?" Sephiroth slowed his scan over the boys, enjoying the nervous look each boy began to take on.

"I'd barely call them men, Fair. But I do… see some sort of promise with this group. They still have a long way to go though. I look forward to having those of you who make it under my wing, though," Sephiroth said, making sure to make eye contact with each boy for at least thirty seconds.

"I guess I'm not a half bad instructor then," Zack grinned. "But I think it's time you leave, General. My cadets can't concentrate at  _all_  with you here and they've still got another hour with me until they have to go see the materia experts."

"I see. I am nothing but a hindrance now. I will take my leave then. Make sure you go pack after this, though, Fair. Do not leave it for the last minute."

"Got it, sir. Now if you don't mind?" Sephiroth nodded, giving Zack one of his smiles that only those close to him could recognize as a smile and left. He had some paperwork somewhere that he'd neglected and needed to get out of the way.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

The flight in the copter had been unimaginably uncomfortable. Zack had had trouble finding a comfortable position to cat nap in and thus had a very stiff neck and shoulders. After a few hours Sephiroth had relinquished his shoulder as a pillow and glared at the Turk who was shooting him odd looks. Nevertheless, as Zack caught the occasional glimpse out the side, his anxiety grew. This would be the first time he'd been home since he'd left for cadet training.

They were due to land in moments, meaning that Sephiroth had shoved the puppy from his snuggling place to sit on his own. The SOLDIER was practically bouncing in his seat by this point. His gaze caught the General's and he gave a wide grin. The pilot began a more steep decent, picking a suitable spot on the outskirts of town. Zack turned towards Sephiroth, a large grin spreading across his face.

"Gaia, Seph, you don't know how much this really means to me. Really. I'll love you long time for this when we get back."

"Do not jump your guns, Fair. Just because I have done you this favor, does not mean that I want something like sex in return. I plan on using this favor wisely," Sephiroth said, a smile tweaking on his lips.

"Hey, that's not fair. I really wanna sex you up now," Zack pouted.

"Not in front of your parents. Besides, we'll see how you feel about your libido after the mission. You are prepared for the worse, aren't you?"

"I hope I am. But please, let's not think about it right now. I don't want my parents sensing any negative energies from us. It'd leave a really bad impression."

"Right. I don't want to give the puppy's parents a bad impression of his new master."

"Master? Who said you were my master?" Zack said, raising an eyebrow.

"Angeal entrusted you to me. Besides," Sephiroth said with the slightest hint of a grin, leaning in to Zack's ear to whisper, "you like laying back and taking it better than you do dishing it out. The way you whimpered when I got back and had you tied to the bedpost was more than a clue who has the real power here."

"I love it when you talk dirty, even though it's rare," Zack said, grinning. He leaned in and managed to brush his lips against the elder's cheek. Sephiroth simply turned away, diverting his gaze from Zack to the ever approaching ground. The helicopter touched ground shortly after, and it was only seconds before Zack had shoved past Sephiroth and hurled himself out of the flying machine. He landed softly on two feet and immediately started running towards the village.

Sephiroth moved at a more sedate pace. He would allow Zack to announce his own presence to the village, then would sneak in during the possible uproar and try to keep a low profile. It was something he'd already agreed upon with Zack. He briefly turned back to the copter and gave the pilot a nod before continuing on his way.

Zack ran past the old, destroyed Mako Reactor and straight into the village. It was just past dawn, but people were already up to till their gardens before the noon sun came. The few that were out and noticed him stopped in their paths, staring a bit dumbfoundedly at him. He only grinned and waved, jogging up to his parents' home—his home. When he reached his home, he stood still, upright, and rolled back onto his feet. His father would be getting up about this time to start his own yard work, and his mother too, to make breakfast for him. His smile grew larger with the thought of a home cooked meal.

"Zachary, are you going to just stand there all day, or are you going to actually knock?" Sephiroth said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, startling him out of his revere. Zack turned back to the General, the goofy grin still plastered on his face.

"I hope you're up for a good ol' fashioned home-made country breakfast, Seph. My mom's cooking is amazing."

"Just knock already." Zack laughed richly and turned back to the door. He gave a it a few good, strong knocks before pulling back and waiting. A few moments later a man in his mid-fifties answered the door, groggy and somewhat confused as to why someone was knocking on his door at such an hour. When the man's eyes connected with the now bouncing Zack in front of him, he stepped back in shock.

"Z-zack?" he said a bit uncertain.

"Hey dad, long time no see," the teen said, his grin growing infinitely more bright. The man took a moment to absorb just what his son had turned into before launching himself forward and embracing Zack.

"Honey, come quick, our boy's come back!" Zack's father called. Moments later a middle aged woman appeared at the door. It wasn't long before Zack's father was forcefully removed from him, and his mother pulled him into a sharp hug.

"Oh my goodness, Zachary. You don't know how worried I've been. It's so good to see you. Look how much you've grown! Oh, honey!" she cried, tears coming to her eyes.

"Yeah, it's great to see you too Ma. I really missed your hugs. And cooking."

"Oh Zack, my baby," Zack's mother wailed. "Oh come in, honey, we have so much to talk about."

"Uhm, Ma, I'm not exactly here alone. The General's standing right behind me."

"Oh dear!" Zack's mother cried, pulling herself away from her son. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. Zack why didn't you tell me you were bringing the General?" Mrs. Fair turned to look at Sephiroth and shrank back some, awed by his rather menacing presence.

"If I may, he could not call in advance because this mission was rather sudden. He had had only a few hours notice before we had to board a helicopter. I'm sorry to say that we can only stay for breakfast. This village was on our way."

"Yeah. Sorry. It took a bit of begging to get him to stop by. But the only reason I'm on this mission is 'cause I grew up in the area, but can we come in anyway? I'm really hankering a home-cooked meal, and I'm pretty sure Sephiroth's never even had one before."

"Right, right, please, come in, come in. Please excuse the mess," Mrs. Fair said, ushering the men through the door. "Sit down. I'll get right on making breakfast." Zack turned to Sephiroth with a smile and headed to the kitchen table.

The Fair home was a bit small to Sephiroth, and a bit raggedy. It however appeared to be the in the best condition of all the villagers'. Zack had said that he'd come from a B Class family, and while this image didn't match what he thought was B Class home standard, it was apparent that they wee one of the richest families in the village.

"I bet you're thinking that this is a really crummy place to live," Zack said, smirking at Sephiroth. The silveret gave Zack an annoyed glare.

"I was merely thinking that this is different than the city."

"Riiiiight."

"Zachary, show respect for your superiors," Mr. Fair scolded, taking a seat next his son.

"Heh, sorry Dad. The General and I are just kinda close I guess. Sometimes I forget he's my superior."

"That isn't good, Fair," Sephiroth said, training his eyes on Mrs. Fair as she cooked. The smells were already mouth watering.

"So what's been going on? You've been sending less letters lately," Mrs. Fair called from the stove.

"Well, I'm first class now, as I've told you. There really hasn't been much going on that I can talk about."

"That's such a pity," Mrs. Fair said, pulling away from the stove with two plates of eggs and bacon. She placed it in front of Sephiroth and Zack. "I was making biscuits too, but you'll have to wait a little while for those, is that ok?"

"Yeah, Mom. It's more than ok!"

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Zack stepped off the helicopter with a slight frown on his face. He'd been reluctant to leave his parents, but he knew that this job was more important than being with his family. He stared out at the jungle in front of him then turned to look at Sephiroth. The man had locked away all emotions that had started to leak out over the breakfast table, meaning Zack could no longer read anything. The ravenet sighed.

"Let's move out. It's an hour walk and we need to get there faster. We're running," Sephiroth ordered, his voice steeling over. He didn't even give Zack so much as a glance. "You lead."

"Yes sir," Zack replied halfheartedly. He propelled himself forward at full speed, knowing that Sephiroth would be going at a measly half speed. They were careful of their footing, making sure to keep silent. It wasn't wise to alert anything in the vicinity to their presence. Zack was picking up on a scent that Sephiroth must have long before. It smelt like Angeal and mako and death.

When they cleared the forest, Sephiroth came to a sudden stop. Zack stopped a few meters ahead when he realized that the General was no longer following him. He looked out slowly over the worn-down town. Most of the people of the town had fled or had been killed. The younger wrinkled his nose at the putrid stench coming from the village. Sephiroth stepped forward, drawing Masamune.

"I can smell them, all over this place. It's disgusting," the General spoke, voice dull. "This way. I can feel them." Sephiroth glided forward, still careful to keep silent. Zack followed close behind, eager to get this job done, anxious at the possibility of seeing Angeal again. As they neared the center of the town, Sephiroth signaled for Zack to fall back slightly. The younger followed orders and slowed his pace slightly. He could see two familiar figures forming in the center.

  
"My, I didn't actually expect you to come, Sephiroth," the now hauntingly familiar voice of Genesis called out as they approached. Zack took in a sharp breath, eyes hardening into a glare.

"Genesis," Zack spat, trying his best not to rush past Sephiroth to attack the man.

"You brought Zack with you?" the silken voice of Angeal questioned, irritation apparent.

"I did," Sephiroth answered simply, coming to a stop about two yards from the deserters. Zack halted a foot behind the silveret, and took to a more defensive stance than Sephiroth. Genesis began to chuckle, taking a step closer.

"Seems you couldn't leave the little abandoned puppy alone to stew over Angeal, could you," the brunet said. "Tell me, have you been taking care of him in his owner's absence?"

"Genesis," Zack and Angeal growled in unison. The youngest drew his sword and stepped forward, only for Sephiroth to raise his arm to create a barrier.

"What do you want with me?" Sephiroth asked, staring into Genesis's eyes.

"Direct, aren't you? Oh well. I suppose you've always been that way," Genesis chuckled. "But I think the real question is, what do you want with us? We've called you out with the promise of information, but so far you've ignored us."

"I don't need your information. What good could come from destroying ShinRa? Without it, the government, will you look for chaos?" Sephiroth practically spat, anger barely seeping into his otherwise calm voice.

"I see. Then you aren't ready yet. It's not time for you to understand anything," Genesis said, shaking his head. "But maybe the puppy can be swayed." A wicked smirk took over Genesis's features, as he spread his arms.

"Like fucking  _hell_  I'd listen to anything  _you_  say," Zack barked, ducking under Sephiroth's arm and charging at Genesis. The brunet dodged the attacks easily. Sidestep, sidestep, duck, backwards, then punch. Zack recoiled back, clutching his stomach and trying to breathe properly. The older stepped around the younger and made his way to Sephiroth.

The silveret drew Masamune, but took no further measures to defend himself. Genesis unearthed his own blade and ran his hand down it, invoking the power of the runes inscribed in the metal. He suddenly sprang forward, aiming for the General's shoulder. Sephiroth raised Masamune just in time to block the hit.

Zack finally managed to regain his breath and was about to attack Genesis from behind, but Angeal seized him by the upper right arm and was  _not_  letting him move. After a few moments, Zack lost patience and spun around to face his former lover, a hurt glare on his features.

"What the  _fuck_ , Angeal?" Zack snapped. He shoved the older man's hand away and stepped back.

"Zack, you wouldn't understand my reasons. You would have tried to stop me."

"Damn right I woulda!" Zack yelled. "You fucking abandoned me. You promised you wouldn't leave me!"

"I haven't abandoned you. I—"

"You have!" Zack charged at his mentor, blindly attacking. Angeal was able to dodge most with the ease Genesis had, but Zack's increased rage and adrenaline allowed him to move faster and ironically more accurately. The boy had always been best when fighting with his emotions. The older used the broadside of the Buster sword to deflect an especially hard to dodge attack, but did nothing other wise.

Sephiroth pushed Genesis back and slashed. Genesis turned away from the blast and swung his sword at the silveret's neck. The General blocked the blow, locking them in a deadlock. Sephiroth waited for a moment. Just as he was about to break the lock, a sickening crack sounded through the air, followed by a soft thud.

Sephiroth's eyes left Genesis and fell on Zack. The teen had fallen to the ground, unconscious, bleeding at the base of his skull. The general pushed Genesis away and rushed to the teen's side. He quickly checked for a pulse. He found one.

  
"Angeal, let's go. This is not the time to fight with him," Genesis commanded. The two took flight, leaving Sephiroth to care for the wounded teen.


	7. Chapter 7

Cloud shuddered as he leaned over the sink. Another pill down the drain. He wouldn't be refilling. He probably wouldn't make it out of the room. The others had left for breakfast, so he wasn't too worried about anyone walking in on him.

Slowly, the blond reached for one for the razors on the sink's edge and brought it to his wrist. His motions were deliberate, thought out—heavy pressed. Wrist to elbow, across, across, across. He let the blade drop into the sink as he watched the blood slowly bubble forth from his arm and spill over. Backing up until he hit the wall, he collapsed, sliding down the wall.

He couldn't take the abuse. The psychiatrist, the teasing, the beatings, the almost rapes. It hadn't been long but the torment seemed to be unending. Reno had been around less and less, alluding that ShinRa found him powerless and sacrificial once more. His mother was going to die anyway, wasn't she? They'd meet in the life stream. He took in a shaky breath—still refusing to cry. He'd been ruined, dirtied—threatened by peers and psychiatrist alike.

There was a bang at the door, and after a few more moments, another. Next thing he knew, Reno was standing in the doorway, a shocked expression on his face. Then the red head was yelling into his cell phone. Cloud succumbed to his blood loss.

 

-.-.-.-

 

It was two weeks before Sephiroth mentioned the incident, as he so liked to call it, to his psychiatrist. Two weeks of prodding and annoying, meaningless threats. Two weeks of watching the cute blond come in for his sessions, as the General's had been moved back to their original time. Two weeks of an oddly moody Zack.

With the man sitting across from him finally quiet, Sephiroth stood and turned to the door. The session was up and he was looking forward to seeing the blond boy on his way out. It was something to brighten his day, even if the boy never smiled. He gave a quick glance to the waiting room as he left, but the boy was not there. There was a small tug at his heart strings but he dismissed it. Maybe the boy's sessions had just been spaced farther apart. He would not let the matter worry him until the boy was missing for several weeks.

He glided out of the room and into the elevator, pressing the button for his office floor. Zack was off on a training mission with his underlings in the wasteland and wouldn't be back until later. Lazard was in an executive meeting that Sephiroth wasn't required to attend, so he opted out to catch up on paperwork. He'd put off any and all work that pertained to the incident as long as he could. Lazard would no doubt be stopping by after the meeting asking for it, so he resolved himself to the unpleasant task.

 

-.-.-.-

 

"I thought you weren't going to give up!" Reno yelled as soon as the blond's eyes were open. Cloud only winced, closing his eyes again. "And what the fuck was with your tox screen? Did you decide that those happy pills didn't make you happy enough? Did you think Oxycodone would do the trick? Did you think that if you got higher than a kite every night that it'd make you better? You could have overdosed! And that would have been on my hands. It's a fucking depressant, Cloud! And besides, you shouldn't be into drugs! You just busted guys on it!"

"Oxycodone?" Cloud rasped out.

"Don't play dumb."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cloud responded, trying to turn away. "I just haven't been taking the prescription."

"I have the screen results in my hand. You're on Oxycodone."

"Well I didn't take it willingly! They must have slipped it into my food or water," Cloud snapped, beginning to scratch at the IV that was pumping blood back into his system.

"Who?"

"If I told you, I'd really get demoted to D class," Cloud said forlornly, turning away completely. "Get me a new psychiatrist and I promise to just fight those asses off as much as I can."

"I can't."

"Then make it so I don't have to see him anymore!"

"I can't, Cloud. You're stuck with him. The best I can do is get you sent off on a mission for a couple of days. While you're gone I'll have them do another drug bust."

"I don't want to see him anymore. He's trying to break me. He's trying to get the details of the events out of me. He's treating me worse than my peers."

"Well no one in ShinRa gives a rats ass about you Cloud. You know this."

" _You_  care!"

"Not enough to change the system. I'm not going to risk my neck for some twerp that was abandoned by his father.  _He's_  the only reason you were slighted this much, yo!"

"You're right. Get me a potion, please. Take the money out of my paycheck. I'll be back to work tomorrow. I'm expendable, but I won't let this get to me."

"Cloud, you are expendable. You're lucky I even saved your ass, yo. Had it been anyone else, I would have just gone about my day. But I guess it's a service to your father, even though he probably doesn't give a rats ass about you. He's a great man, and I guess I want to see his son become one too."

"Reno, does my Dad even know I'm here?"

"No. He doesn't even know you exist. And everyone wants to keep it that way. It's better for everyone, even you, if you guys never meet."

"What kind of person is he?"

"It's better that you don't even know, kid," Reno said, placing his hand on Cloud's shoulder. "I don't want to shatter any vision you might have of him." Cloud shrugged the hand off and curled into himself as best he could with the IV still stuck in place.

"Can you just leave me alone for a bit? Come back when you get that potion, please," Cloud mumbled.

 

-.-.-.-

 

Lazard ran his hand along Sephiroth's desk before leaning back on it. He turned his head so that the General was visible from the corner of his eye. Sephiroth merely placed his pen down and folded his hand in front of himself, leaning back into his leather office chair. He let his gaze meet the director in a mini staring match.

"What may I do for you, Director?" Sephiroth asked, cocking an eyebrow at the man.

"I'm here because I have a mission for you," Lazard said casually, as if the visit weren't out of the ordinary.

"Do you not usually call me to your office for these sorts of things?"

"Under normal circumstances yes, but this situation is a little more delicate. I figured that you would appreciate the privacy of your office over mine."

"And what exactly is this mission about?" Lazard stood and walked a few paces forward, keeping his back to the General.

"There has been another sighting of Genesis and Angeal clones, this time in a place called Modeoheim. But we have probable reason to believe that the clones are not the only ones in this area. This may be a major base of theirs and the higher ups would like for you to go in and destroy the base and all of its inhabitants."

"So you believe that Angeal and Genesis are actually in that town?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, but I do not think that I am able to face them again this soon. Please, find someone else that is suitable for the job."

"Understood. I will give it careful consideration," Lazard replied, turning to face the General. "By the way, is the mission statement from the previous endeavor finished yet?"

"Yes," Sephiroth sighed, frustrated. He held up the wretched files. "Take them."

 

-.-.-.-

 

Reno was a naturally sloppy, disrespectful ass when it came to dealing with superiors. Granted, the redhead was also quite fuckable, but Tseng tried to keep those thoughts out of his mind during business that involved the teen. The fact that Reno was  _not_  sloppily dressed and was  _not_  acting like a stuck-up little brat had Tseng worried, though.

"Are you sick?" the Wutain asked as he carefully began assessing the boy.

"No," Reno replied. His jacket was still undone but his shirt was tucked in and his tie mostly fastened. It was odd.

"Then why are you here?"

"You remember Cloud Strife, right?"

"Yes. I do. What about him?"

"Well he's been getting bullied by the other grunts. To the point where they're slipping depressants into his supplies."

"Are you sure it's the other grunts?"

"Yeah. I've looked up all the medical records. There was a guy that came into some OxyCodone a year or so ago for pain. He didn't use all the pills. Cloud's depressed enough without those pills. He almost died today."

"And what do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to get Cloud on the next faraway mission and do a drug bust."

"You like this kid, don't you?" Tseng concluded, sitting back.

"I do not! It's my job to protect his wellbeing."

"Cloud has had enough special treatment. This will make the bullying worse."

"Then we just pull him out randomly with some others and send them on a training mission."

"It's not your job to go to this length for the boy."

"Sir, Cloud hasn't left the compound since before the trail. He's the only one in his group that hasn't done real fieldwork." Tseng sighed. "He's getting behind them. He can't make a full recovery where he is now."

"Fine. I'll see what I can do. I was asked a short while ago to accompany a SOLDIER First on a mission in the mountains. He's from Nibelheim, right? I'll bring him along as a copilot and backup. He may prove useful up there."

"Sir…" Reno said, a relieved look coming over his face. "What do you want in return?"

"I can think of a few things," Tseng said, shuffling the papers on his desk. "But aren't you getting a little too close to the grunt?"

"I don't think of him sexually—well at least not consciously. My wet dreams are another story, but, really. I think of him like a little brother or a pet or something, yo. Yeah, definitely a pet. Like a pet chocobo. A moody ass depressed chocobo, but a chocobo nonetheless."

"If you aren't careful, he'll become a weakness. You know that Turks do not have weaknesses."

"Right, sir. I'll keep that in mind. Just get Cloud out of here for a while."

 

-.-.-.-

 

"Sephi… roth…" groaned the General's secretary as said man thrust into him. "Shit! Yes!  _Yes_!" Sephiroth remained quiet as he thrust in and out rhythmically. His secretary was a good stress reliever when killing things wasn't an option. He pounded the body relentlessly into the desk, envisioning the captivating blond grunt under him. He was harder than he'd been in a long time, not to mention much more turned on. The secretary cried out as he came all over the papers on the desk. Those were the ones that were supposed to go to Tseng at some point, but he supposed the man could handle a little spilt milk.

Sephiroth groaned slightly as the smaller man's ass clenched his member. He was nowhere close to climax though and kept thrusting. The secretary was soon thrusting back against him, sporting a new hard on. Sephiroth growled lightly, gripping the man's hips tighter. There was a knock at the door, but the General chose to ignore it. After a few moments and a few loud cries from his secretary, the door was kicked open by none other than Zackary Fair.

The boy was shocked for a moment before letting his features set into a puppy glare, which soon melted into a puppy pout with large, disappointed puppy eyes and pouty lips. The teen moved to leave but changed his mind quarter-turn and snapped back around.

"So you couldn't call me to get off in your office? You  _know_ I've always wanted to do it in your office!" Zack almost-yelled at the Sephiroth. Sephiroth only snorted, continuing to thrust his hips like a well oiled piston. The older man wasn't about to let Zack know that he'd gotten softer because of the interruption.

"We'll fuck later," the General growled.

"Later? The way you're fucking him, I don't think you'll have enough energy for later!" Zack huffed.

"Then go fuck with Reno or the lady at the information desk! I'm not in the mood to screw you right now." Zack glared at the secretary. The man didn't even seem to notice he was in the room. Zack huffed again before turning around and slamming the door shut. Turning back towards the pair, he dropped his pants to the floor and walked to the desk in his underwear and shirt. He nudged the two away from the desk and hopped onto it. Sephiroth raised an eye at the younger as he slowed his pace. Zack wiggled out of his underwear then spread his legs wide.

"I could use some rough office sex," the teen said, moving his fingers to his hole. Sephiroth growled, only to be drowned out by his secretary's moan. Zack was a heavenly sight to have splayed out on a desk. Grabbing the secretary's dick, he pushed them back forward. He positioned the middle man at Zack's entrance and allowed him to enter. Zack moaned, a look of pain mixed with pleasure overcoming his features.

Sephiroth began moving again, setting a rather fast pace to the sex. With both the moans of Zack and the secretary flooding his ears, he felt especially aroused. It had been a long time since he'd engaged in a threesome. The secretary came first, followed shortly after by Zack. Sephiroth held on for another precious few minutes before finally tipping over the edge and spilling his seed into the secretary. The silveret waited a few moments before pulling out of the secretary and refastening his pants.

"Zackery, I will fuck you so hard tonight that you will bleed. Prepare yourself," the General said before turning and exiting the room for lord knew where. Zack sighed before gently pushing the secretary away. The man pulled out and moved off to wherever his chair had been pushed, freeing Zack. The teen stood, careful of his wobbly legs. He'd come with a valid reason, but he couldn't quite seem to remember it in his sex hazed mind. In any case, he hoped he would remember by night.

 

-.-.-.-

 

Cloud was startled out of his daze when a glass bottle collided with his stomach. He looked down at his stomach for a moment, trying to decipher just what hit him. Then it clicked. A potion. Snapping his head up, he could see Reno leaning against the door, a rather detached and unpleasant look on his face. The redhead's lips were pursed in an uncharacteristic manner that got Cloud worried. Reno looked as if he wanted to spit.

"Thanks for the potion," Cloud mumbled, dropping his gaze back to the bottle in his lap. He cradled it in his hand for a moment before finally unplugging it and lifting it to his lips. He took a few sips before replacing the cork.

"You feeling more sane right now?" Reno asked, plopping down into the visitor's chair.

"A little. I was just thinking about money," Cloud whispered. He fumbled with the potion, passing it between his hands.

"Really? You're thinking of money at a time like this?"

"My mom… I can't send her money if I refill my anti-depressants."

"She's going to have to deal without if for a little while."

"The pills are worth almost two months of paychecks, and they only last about a month. If I refill it again… that's four months without pay. I can't refill this much…"

"You have to take the pills."

"I'll take them less often. I can't afford this. I make them last two months..."

"Cloud…"

"Meds aren't made for grunts. You know, I get paid less than half of what you make in a day over one year, Reno."

"I'm sorry I can't help you. At least they're giving you the ShinRa discount, kid," Reno said shaking his head. "You've got a little left over though, right? Go spend it on… on yourself or something."

"I need that extra money for ammo. I've been training at the shooting gallery everyday."

"Ah. That's good. Not letting your skills decrease. You'll show the others up when they finally get you on a mission," Reno said, smiling.

"You look really mad today…" Cloud said, looking up at Reno, hoping to change the subject. "Did I really make you that mad?"

"A little, but I'm over that now. It's not entirely your fault for what happened, yo. My boss is just being an ass, per usual."

"Oh. I see," Cloud dodged his eyes to the floor.

"But I guess I should get out of here. I've got  _other_  business I need to take care of today. Get the fuck better soon, ok? I wanna see you up and kicking other grunt ass by tomorrow. Got it?"

"Yeah. Bye."

 

-.-.-.-

 

Zack secured his button and zipper, sated by his recent endeavor in the store closet of the SOLDIER floor with Kunsel. He figured the man's skill with his tongue could tie him over until whatever Sephiroth had planned for the night. The thought of what could happen had Zack smiling. Practically strutting down the hall, he let a few scenarios flit through his mind. When he reached the elevator, he pressed the down button. Maybe he'd make the effort to go see Aerith. It wasn't too late in the day, so he figured the girl would still be there.

The doors opened and the ravenet let out a low whistle. His goofy grin turned into a smirk as he stepped into the elevators and positioned himself next to Cissnei. She looked at the SOLDIER with a coy look in her eyes, a small smile growing on her lips.

"Well, this certainly made my life easier," she said, looking ahead once again. "I was afraid I was going to have to start opening all the closets and infiltrating all the apartments."

"I'm not  _that_  bad. I try to stick to just closets. Every once in a while we move to a bed though," Zack said, leaning forward to intercept the girl's line of vision. Cissnei gave a light chuckle before shaking her head. "So, what is it that you want from me?"

"I just need to ask you a few questions."

"Ok, shoot."

"Have you noticed anything strange going on in the last few months?"

"Not anything more strange that what's already been going on. The usual, you know? Genesis clones and materia hunts, Wutai spies…"

"How about with the people that you know?"

"Not… really. I mean Seph has been tense since we got back from Gongaga, but I think that that's understandable."

"And what about Reno? You two are good friends."

"You're investigating Reno?"

"Just answer the question, Zack."

"I haven't seen him around much lately to be honest. He told me he's on a long term mission. That and I've been busy myself recently."

"I can see that."

"But to answer your question, he hasn't changed his attitude around me any." Zack rubbed the back of his head.

"Well then, I guess that's all." The door to the elevator pinged open at the ground floor. Cissnei moved to leave. In that instant Zack discarded any and all plans to go see Aerith. He grabbed her wrist, not daring to pull her back, but keeping her in place for as long as she'd allow.

"Do you want to go to dinner or something?" he asked.

"Maybe next time. I have a meeting." Cissnei smiled and slipped out of Zack's grip. She quickly exited the elevator, letting the doors close in Zack's face.

 

-.-.-.-

 

Cissnei slipped into another elevator and pressed the button for the medical ward. The doors closed, and her ride was uninterrupted. She smiled sweetly as the doors opened on the medical ward to Reno. The redhead rose an eyebrow, his face still set in a scowl.

"Why are you visiting me?" the redhead asked, stepping in. He pressed the button for the Turk Floor and slid his ID card.

"I just need to talk to you," Cissnei said, sweetly.

"Did Tseng tell you to do this?"

"I just came from talking with Zack. He tried to ask me out again."

"You should go with him. He's good, yo."

"Heh. Maybe some other time."

"I really insist. You could use a good lay."

"I could say the same thing about you right now. Do you have your eyes on Strife? You haven't attempted anything with anyone since getting kicked out of Zack's apartment."

"I do  _not_  want to fuck Strife. I want to freaking get all this shit with him sorted out."

"You've changed since you met him, Reno."

"How so?"

"You didn't use to question the system." Reno paused for a moment, soaking in what Cissnei had just said. He looked back at her carefully before speaking.

"He's an exception. I don't think he really deserves this kind of treatment, I mean he's a lot like his father…"

"So you're claiming this to be more about a great man's son than a cute boy's ass?"

"I…" The elevator door pinged open on the Turk Floor.

"You're walking on thin ice, Reno." The redhead snapped his gaze passed the door to see Tseng. "Come to my office. We have something to discuss. Rude is already there, waiting."

"Right," Reno grumbled, following suit. For the second time that day, Reno found himself standing in Tseng's office. This time he was properly sloppy and two other Turks were there.

"Lazard has decided on the SOLDIER that will accompany me on this mission. You're good friends with Zack, correct? Do you think it would be appropriate to bring Cloud along on this mission if Zack is there?" Tseng asked.

"Cloud can hold his own as long as he doesn't remove his helmet. Besides, he's a country boy. He should do really well on a mountain like that," Reno replied readily.

"Good. Lazard will be calling Zack in first thing in the morning to assign him the mission. Cloud will receive the order tonight to give him ample time to prepare." Tseng pressed a button on his keyboard and the screen behind his desk flicked on. "Moving on, I need you three to go investigate this forest. It seems average, but it is reported that the Forgotten City of the Ancients is cradled just beyond it. However, it seems that there is something about this place that causes you to run around in circles, even if you run in a straight line. You are to try to figure out this phenomenon and figure out a way around this. You will report back here in a week if nothing is discovered. We are investigating this region under the orders from the science department, but we don't need to waste our man power. You will leave tomorrow morning. You are dismissed."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler warning for Crisis Core if you haven't played it. Some lines are copied verbatim from the game, and anything from "Loveless" from this point on is from the text of "Loveless" in the game.

Oh Gaia did Zack's ass hurt like a bitch. He suppressed a moan as he shifted in his seat in the helicopter. He really didn't appreciate getting called into Lazard's office at eight in the morning after a nice long night of hard, passionate bondage and sex. The aches and cuts from the bondage were easily dispelled by a high potion, but the deep aching throb caused by Sephiroth's cock was not so easily cured.

The SOLDIER glared at the boots of the grunt in front of him, thinking unpleasantly of Lazard. The grunt seemed unnerved by the glares, but Zack didn't really give a hoot about the grunt. It was the grunts, after all, that were subordinate to him, and they were all rather faceless, brainless goops of flesh as far as he was concerned. Sure, he'd been raised in a town were B was the highest class, but most people that he'd associated with throughout his life were no lower than C3. The general view of the grunts, especially in ShinRa, was bad: mindless working drones that forfeited their lives for the sake of ShinRa, no matter the danger, going in large numbers to ensure victory, even if it meant losing a few hundred men.

When Zack first arrived at ShinRa, he didn't exactly approve of this demeaning behavior, but he'd quickly fallen in line with it, choosing just to not associate with the grunts rather than hazing them and abusing them like other SOLDIERs. He looked up at the grunt's helmet and smiled, causing the poor thing to shrink back, clutching at its stomach.

Suddenly the helicopter shook, pulling Zack from his thoughts. He felt the copter begin to descend rapidly, flames bursting from the top. He looked to Tseng, who was seated in the front. The man turned to the back, shouting instructions over the sound, "Prepare for a crash landing, we've been attacked by a fiend!"

Zack immediately hunkered down, preparing himself; the grunts quickly followed suit, copying him. The impact startled him, jolting him forward and out of the copter. He'd obviously not been in the best place for a crash landing. When he regained his composure, he pushed himself upright and looked around, stopping at the helicopter. Tseng threw a torn chunk of siding from the door of the copter, just barely peaking out of the gnarled hunk of burning metal. The Wutain disappeared within the mess for a moment before heaving out a grunt, then disappeared again.

Zack scrambled forward, grabbing the grunt by the wrist and dragging it away from the copter. The grunt groaned, then tensed when it saw who was touching him. Zack deduced that it must have been the grunt he'd been glaring at earlier. This one seemed a bit smaller than the other, so when they stood side by side, they should have been easy enough to tell apart.

"You ok?" he asked the grunt.

"Y-yeah," it responded, pulling back. "I'm just a little shook up, is all." Zack nodded, hitting the grunt in the shoulder before standing up. Tseng had removed the other grunt and was attending to it.

"Man, I can't believe a fiend took out the copter," Zack grumbled, looking up at the sky in an attempt to find said creature. Tseng popped up behind him, his radio in hand.

"We can't get a radio signal out here, but Modeoheim should be at the bottom of this mountain. If we go that way, we should reach it," Tseng said, pointing in the direction the helicopter had been going. "Can we count on you to lead us?"

"Because I'm a country boy, right? But yeah, I've got no problems leading," Zack said, grinning. He marched forward, the others following shortly after.

 

-.-.-.-

 

After about an hour of marching, Zack found himself side by side with the smaller of the two grunts; the other was several hundred meters behind them, and Tseng was in the middle. Zack turned backwards as he walked, calling out to Tseng teasingly, "Hey! Don't be so slow!"

He turned back to the grunt and looked it up and down rather appreciatively. The thing was keeping up with a SOLDIER in a foot of snow on a mountain. The grunt had to have some skill. Not even Tseng was with them.

"You seem to be doing pretty good," he said to the grunt.

"I'm also from the country," the grunt replied, somewhat hesitantly. Zack smiled, the grunt was shy.

"Really? Where from?" Zack asked, his curiosity peeked.

"Nibelheim," it replied simply, turning away slightly. Zack busted out laughing. The name of the town sounded ridiculous. He almost doubled over. The grunt quickly turned back to Zack, voicing, "What about you?"

"Ah, me? Gongaga." At this the grunt began to laugh. "Eh? Are you laughing? You  _are_ , aren't you? Do you even know Gongaga?"

"No, but it sounds country-like."

"Ditto Nibelheim," Zack said in a bit of a huff as he turned his back to the grunt.

"You heard of Nibelheim?" the grunt called after, a bit of irritation in its voice.

"Nope. Never. But they've got a reactor, right? Midgar has plenty of Mako, right? But everywhere else has none," Zack looked at the grunt a bit shocked as they completed the last of the sentence together. He grinned ear to ear as they both began to laugh, clutching their sides. "I think I'm getting to like you."

The grunt stiffened a little, backing off, but Zack ignored it. He turned back to Tseng, calling "Hey! You don't have to worry, Me and…" he turned back to the grunt to get its name. It stiffened slightly before reaching up to remove its helmet, obviously not used to this treatment from SOLDIERs.

"Cloud," it said, a bit bashful. Zack paused as he was talking, trying to grasp the full image of the person beside him. Beautiful golden spiky hair, flawless, pale skin, eyes as blue as the sky. It was the grunt's eyes that got him, though—they were remarkably beautiful but broken. He'd seen this face before, he just couldn't remember when. At any rate, he had to finish his sentence before he made himself look like a fool, so he turned back to Tseng.

"Me and Cloud got it covered! We're backwater extraordinaires!" With that he turned and continued his march forward, Cloud following shortly behind.

It wasn't until fifteen minutes later that it hit him just  _where_  he'd seen Cloud before. Guilt filled his stomach, remembering the words he'd spoken to Cloud. He'd thought Cloud was a civilian. After all, no civilian below B4 was common above the plates of Midgar, and grunts were rarely, if ever, released from the compound. The words he'd said to Cloud at that time must have stung deeply, he realized. They were words of false hope coming from an ignorant ignoramus. He turned to Cloud once more.

"We've met before now, haven't we?" he asked.

"Yeah. In front of Loveless Theater," Cloud replied, his voice taking on a deadened tone.

"You won't ever make it to Class B, will you?"

"Yeah, I'll never be a SOLDIER."

"I feel like an ass now for saying what I did."

"You didn't know, so it's ok. Just forget about it."

"Right."

 

-.-.-.-.-

 

After a few hours of trudging through the snow, Tseng had the group stop on a cliff over looking a warehouse. Zack peered over, using his enhanced vision to pick out moving bodies. Tseng peered through a pair of binoculars.

"They're Genesis clones," Tseng stated, pulling the binoculars away. He looked up at Zack. "I think it would be wise for you to go scout the base. It seems that they've decided to operate outside the town."

"Right," Zack nodded. A small knot was forming in the pit of his stomach as he thought of just what he would be encountering. "I'll go in first and clear a path."

"We'll follow you once you've entered the building," Tseng said. He motioned at the path down to the warehouse. The SOLDIER nodded before taking off down the path. There were guards patrolling the gated entrance surrounding the compound. Zack placed his back to the wall, peeking over just enough to see the guards walking. Slowly, he drew his sword, preparing for the perfect time to strike. When the two guards were at a perfect distance, he lunged, taking out one before quickly disposing of the other. Stealthily, he made it to the next best hiding place, killing another guard on his way. He spotted the entrance to the warehouse and made a mad dash. When he was in, he heaved a sigh.

His gaze wandered the inside of the compound. It was large and open, with stairs leading down into the depths of the mountain. It had been too easy to infiltrate the place, so he kept his guard up as he slowly moved down the stairs. Aside from the occasional fiend and clone, the place appeared relatively barren. He made his ways down the first and only hallway he saw. The hall ended at an elevator, which he promptly opened. Once inside, he let the doors close, catching just a glimpse of Cloud running up to where he stood. The elevator moved upwards, stopping only after a few seconds. The doors opened to yelling, causing Zack to quickly exit. The doors promptly closed and the elevator returned downwards.

"You need me! How are you going to stop the degradation if you kill me?" Hollander yelled, backing up slowly as Genesis pointed a sword to his throat. As soon as Zack absorbed the situation, he ran forward, grabbing his sword. He swung down at Genesis, putting himself between the two men and stopping the older man in his tracks. He seemed to have grown more fragile between their two encounters, with white strips frequenting his hair, and a pale dullness tinting his skin.

"The Jenova cells are all I need," Genesis said, not bothering to push Zack away or even bother with him at all. Hollander attempted to run, but the elevator doors crashed open and Cloud rushed out, grabbing Hollander before he could run away.

"Good work!" Zack yelled, looking back at the grunt before turning back to focus on Genesis. The old scientist began struggling, finally hitting Cloud in the face with his elbow, knocking the grunt down. He escaped, running back behind Zack.

"Not even Hojo can help you find the cells. No one knows where they are. You'll never find it!" Hollander called.

"Then I shall willingly except my fate," Genesis said calmly, drawing his sword. "But I'll bring the world with me!" Suddenly, he lurched forward, attacking Zack. The teen blocked, pushing back with all his might so as to postpone the inevitable fight. Hollander bolted, running for the elevator. Cloud rose from the ground, slightly disheveled.

"Go!" Zack commanded. The grunt nodded, darting out after the scientist.

Cloud couldn't believe the mess Reno had gotten him into. Sure he hadn't been put on any missions, and had been looking forward to it at first, but he was now regretting coming. His first mission and he was confronted with Genesis and Hollander. Genesis sent chills down his spine, so he was glad to be out of that room, but Hollander was not going to be easy to catch again. The man had a head start and knew the facility better than Cloud did. He could see the old man ahead of him, and was gaining, but he still feared losing the target.

Hollander dodged into a room, and Cloud soon followed, grabbing for the baton at his thigh. It wasn't a weapon the cadets and new grunts were well trained in, but Cloud felt confident that he could at least use it well enough to subdue Hollander. Across the room a set of stairs descended. Cloud drew his baton and ran down the stairs, only to find that Hollander was nowhere in sight in the empty room. There was only one exit: the stairs. Cloud growled in frustration, running back up the steps.

When he reached the original floor, his PHS beeped. He quickly grabbed the crappy grunt issued version (he'd seen Zack's on the march up and was so flabbergasted at how  _thin_ and  _new_  that damn thing was that he felt a little contempt towards the First Class SOLDIER) from his pocket and flipped it open.

"Yes?" he asked.

"We've spotted Hollander exiting the building and heading into a tunnel," Tseng's voice rang from the other end. Great, the old coot outsmarted him and snuck out while Cloud had taken the bait. "Where's Zack?"

"He's currently busy with Genesis," the blond answered curtly. As an afterthought he quickly added, "Sir."

"Then exit the building. We'll pursue Hollander," Tseng commanded.

"What about Zack?" Cloud questioned, not happy with the idea of leaving the SOLDIER alone in the warehouse.

"Don't try to be something you're not capable of being. If Zack were to lose, what makes you think  _you_  could beat Genesis? You'll be more distraction than help. Zack is smarter than he looks. When he's done with the fight then he'll figure out how to find us. Now move out, grunt," Tseng snapped at him, though his voice remained calm. Cloud got the feeling that the man rarely let his anger show, but could tell that Tseng was annoyed nonetheless.

"Yes, sir," Cloud said, closing his PHS and shoving it back into his pocket. He sighed, working his way back down the hall and to another staircase. This one went down the two flights to the ground floor and connected to the large entry room. Quickly, he exited the building, spotting Tseng. The Wutian was standing next to a large pipe tunnel that looked freshly cleared of ice. He jogged, meeting the Turk and his peer.

"Let's move out," Tseng commanded, starting to power walk into the tunnel. "We have to move quickly but we must also be conscious of any traps that may be set in place here." They kept the brisk pace, exiting the tunnel without any mishaps after half an hour.

Cloud took a good look at his surroundings, taking in the ragged look of the town. It definitely fit the description of an abandoned town, the only signs of civilization a few recent footprints in the snow. They followed them to the run down bathhouse near the edge of town. Cautiously, they entered the building, guns drawn and ready to shoot.

The inside of the building looked far worse than the outside; fallen beams and plywood decorated the floor, all slightly rotten and bug infested. A thick layer of dust blanketed the ground and any objects left after the building had been abandoned. Cloud fell back as the other grunt took the lead. The other Regulation Army member was among Cloud's peers, in the same batch, and also one of the boys that turned a blind eye to Cloud's persecution and rape. He hadn't dared to say anything to Cloud since the mission had begun, and the blond was starting to believe that the other was gaining new respect for him. Cloud had done nothing but excel since starting the mission.

The other grunt started up the stairs to the next floor. Cloud a few feet behind and Tseng bringing up the rear. Suddenly, the other grunt began shooting off rounds, only to abruptly stop. Cloud dashed forward, reaching the stairs in time to see his comrade get struck in the head by the buster sword's hilt.

 

-.-.-.-.-

 

Zack dodged backwards, raising his sword up in defense as Genesis attacked. Zack wasn't confident about where he stood in comparison to Genesis power-wise. During their previous encounter, Genesis had played with him like a toy, not even bothering to deal with him seriously. However, now, the rouge SOLDIER seemed weaker. Zack broke the stalemate, rushing forward at Genesis. The older man dodged, but acted too slowly to avoid getting sliced at the waist. Zack took the opportunity to swing downwards, cutting deep into Genesis' right shoulder.

The brunet stumbled backwards, wrapping his wing around his injured shoulder. He summoned a fireball, hurling it at Zack. The teen dodged then charged. Genesis blocked, shoving Zack backwards as he stepped forward and swung at the ravenet's stomach. Zack recoiled farther, dodging enough that only his shirt was torn. He allowed himself to fall to the floor, rolling out of the way, and Genesis stabbed down at him. The SOLDIER quickly returned to his feet, charging once again at Genesis. This time, the teen struck a vital zone in Genesis' side. Zack pulled back as the winged man collapsed to the ground. Genesis' strength had deteriorated much more than he'd thought.

" _Dreams… of the marrow hath the shattered soul… Pride is Lost, Wings stripped away, the end is nigh._ " Genesis quoted, before falling fully to the ground. "This is the fate of a monster."

"Don't say that!" Zack yelled, stepping forward. "We're SOLDIERS, got it? What happened to your honor?"

" _Even if the morrow is barren of promises_ ," Genesis struggled to get out as he weakly pushed himself up, " _Nothing shall forestall my return_." He quickly began backing up, as if trying to run away. He stopped as he neared the rail and began to beat his wing. As his feet began to lift of the ground and pull him over the void heading down into depths unknown, Genesis spoke one last time, "If this world wants me dead, then I'll take it with me."

Genesis stopped beating his wing, allowing himself to fall. Zack ran forward, wanting to catch Genesis, to stop him, but by the time he'd reached the rail, Genesis could no longer be seen in the darkness. Zack bit his lip. He could only assume that Genesis had just committed suicide. Even if Genesis survived the fatal wound and the fall, there was not much Zack could continue to do. He pulled back from the railing after a few moments and headed towards the elevator. He needed to find Cloud. They had to leave the warehouse and get to Modeoheim. There was still business that needed to be attended to.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

It didn't take Zack long to realize that the others had moved on. Zack could clearly view the tunnel from the exit, giving him a glaring hint where his cohorts had disappeared to. He began the long trek down the tunnel, coming out about thirty minutes later. Judging from the numerous tracks in the ground, he guessed that the others had gone into the bathhouse. Zack pushed the door aside, stepping in. The whole building gave him a feeling of impending doom. He shivered, trying to shake off the feeling.

Slowly, Zack worked his way around the base floor, only to be stopped when an Angeal clone dropped from the ceiling. It spread its wings wide, rearing up as it prepared to attack. Zack quickly drew his sword and sliced the creature in half. Stepping back from the beast, he took a slow breath in. If a clone was here, then it meant that Angeal was most likely in the vicinity as well. After a moment Zack worked up the gall to turn from the dead fiend and continue on.

When he found the stairs leading to the balcony, he froze, shocked by the brilliant red trickling down the stairs. The SOLDIER rushed forward to the grunt lying on the stairs. He was bleeding from the head, but as far as Zack could tell, the grunt was still alive. The ravenet pulled the man up and dragged him back down, resting the grunt against the wall. He turned back towards the stairs, gazing up them, hoping that just maybe that Cloud and Tseng were ok.

He ran up the stairs and spotted Cloud. Hurrying over to the boy, Zack realized the blond was still alive as he grunted. Zack called out to him, gently shaking him by the shoulder. The grunt shooed his hand away, cupping his head.

"We're fine," Cloud rasped out. "You gotta go." The blond pointed towards a doorway where Tseng lay propped against the wall.

"Tseng!" Zack called, forgetting the grunt in favor of the more powerful man.

"We can handle these injuries ourselves. Angeal's waiting for you," Tseng said, waving the SOLDIER through the door. Zack nodded and ran through the door frame. So Angeal  _was_  there after all. Zack rounded the corner and crawled through the hole in the wall onto the water heater's distributing pipes. The pipes led up towards another floor, ending in another hole in the wall. Zack carefully stepped through the hole, spotting Angeal in the middle of the room. Slowly, Zack approached Angeal. When he was within two feet of the older man, the deserter spoke.

"I should have been the one to deal with Genesis," Angeal said solemnly, turning to halfway face his former student.

"Then why did you send me do it?" Zack asked, reaching forward slightly.

"To prepare you for your next fight," Angeal answered simply, lifting the buster sword and pointing the tip at Zack's forehead.

"Are you out of your mind?" Zack exclaimed jumping back as Angeal swung at him. The younger ravenet dodged each of the few sloppily aimed attacks. "Stop it!"

"There are people waiting for you, right?" Angeal asked, stopping. Zack balked for a moment.

"Angeal… don't do this. Don't make me do this," Zack said as he grabbed for his sword. No, he wasn't ready to kill Angeal. He doubted he'd ever be ready for it. Sure, he was mad at the man for running away, but by no means did he want Angeal dead. "Please don't make me kill the one I love most."

"You don't have a choice," Angeal snapped, swinging again. This time Zack blocked, locking their swords.

"Good, Angeal!" Hollander called, stepping out from the shadows. "It's time to exact revenge for our family's suffering."

"Family?" Zack asked in shock as the two warriors broke apart.

" _No_! My father is dead!" Angeal burst out, enraged enough to send Zack back a few feet.

"Then do it for your mother," Hollander said.

"Her shame made her take her own  _life_ ," Angeal spat at the scientist.

"She should have been proud. After all, she was the woman that bore the name of the project. Project G. Project Gillian."

"Don't you dare say her name!" Angeal growled, grabbing Hollander by the collar of his shirt.

"Did you think the project was named after Genesis? How foolish. While he was bred first, he's a failure. You, on the other hand, are perfect. Bred inside her body and infused with Jenova cells." Angeal threw Hollander across the room, too disgusted by the words. Zack could barely believe what he was hearing. Sure, he'd been suspecting  _something_ was up with the clamor over the cells, but not genetic experimentation. There was a fine line between SOLDIERS and monsters already, he knew, but Angeal and Genesis…

"Zack. I am a perfect monster. My cells can absorb genetic traits and pass them on to others. Zack, do you remember what I said? About how our enemies are those who cause suffering?" Angeal asked, walking towards Zack.

"Yeah. But you aren't one of them, Angeal. If you come back…" Zack said, in one last effort to get Angeal to return with him.

  
"I can't go back now, Pup. I've caused not only myself to suffer, but you too. As far as ShinRa is concerned, I've already fallen into Class M1. Let me show you."

"Class M1?" Zack asked in disbelief. Class M was reserved for all fiends and monsters, all nonhumans. The class consisted of over a hundred subdivisions, based on power and destructive capabilities. He flinched at the thought. The line between S2 and M1…

"Stop it!" Hollander called. "You don't know what you're doing!" Zack jerked out of his thoughts as Angeal called several clones. There were at least ten, causing Zack to take a defensive stance. However, the monsters all bypassed Zack, headed straight for Angeal. Zack freaked, and almost went for Angeal, but stopped as the pile of monsters began to morph together. Hollander ran, but Zack had no interest in the man anymore. An explosion caused by the synthesis of the monsters knocked Zack back.

The new creature that was in the pile's place made Zack want to vomit. Angeal's face was still clearly visible, but his lower half was now that of an armored lion, and a large incisor filled mouth was in place of his abdomen. He still retained one white wing, but he was now carrying a shield and spear. The new monster twirled its spear before clenching it and stabbing it at Zack. The blade cut deep into Zack's cheek, causing blood to slowly ooze from the wound.

"Angeal…" Zack said, his emotions roiling and raging violently within him as it culminated into a storm much worse than what he had ever experience before. He took a deep breath, preparing himself. Finally, he placed his other hand on the hilt, and charged. The monster stabbed at Zack, but the ravenet dodged and stabbed his sword into the lower lion's body between the armor plates. The monster reared, throwing Zack backwards. As the weight of the monster's body collided back with the ground, a shockwave knocked Zack off balance again. The monster slammed a paw into Zack, pinning him down. The SOLDIER quickly stabbed into the leg of the beast, pulling the blade down towards him. A large gash split open, causing the beast to pull back. Zack jumped back up and charged.

The ravenet jumped into the air, aiming for the creature's stomach, but it blocked him with the shield and swiped him down with the spear. Zack didn't let himself be deterred. He had to win this fight, or he would die here and leave Angeal to continue suffering. He quickly regained his footing, and with all his speed and strength thrust his sword into the large toothed mouth. The monster squealed in pain, drawing back. The beast swung down at Zack with its spear, slashing him shallowly from collarbone to navel. Zack grunted, but did not allow himself to recoil. He lurched forward during the beast's recovery and stabbed it through the chest plating. The creature wailed horribly, collapsing to the ground.

The monster's form slowly dissolved, leaving only the battered and bloody body of Angeal in its wake. Zack stood over the body of his loved one, almost biting his bottom lip off. He did not want to see Angeal like that. He did not want to see Angeal die. But what was killing him most was that he had to murder the man he loved and hoped most to save.

"Zack… Thank you," Angeal managed, turning to look up at the teenager. His strength was waining. He knew he'd pass on within the next few minutes. Zack knelt down beside his former teacher and lover. "This is for you." Angeal lifted the buster sword, pushing it towards the teen. Zack felt the tears welling at his eyes but did nothing to stop them. He let them flow, sobbing gently, and he tenderly placed his hand over Angeal's. Carefully, he removed the blade from the older's hands, clutching it close to his body.

"I love you," Zack said softly, removing one hand from the sword to reach out to Angeal. "I've done a lot of shitty stupid things because I love you."

"Zack, it's time to move on. Remember your honor, don't let me down," Angeal hoarsed with the last of his strength. He rested his head back on the floor, and the life left his eyes. Zack leaned forward, the sobs coming stronger as he realized that Angeal was dead.

Zack only allowed himself to cry for a few minutes before pulling himself together. He had to think rationally. He stood, pulling the buster sword with him. He lifted the giant blade and placed the flat side in front of his forehead. Taking a deep breath, he calmed down. It was almost as if Angeal was giving him the strength to move on, at least for the moment. With another deep breath, Zack placed the sword on the magnet on his back, leaving the smaller one on the floor. Solemnly, he exited the room and headed towards his teammates. Tseng would have to call in a new helicopter and the body would have to be dealt with. Zack felt as though he would truly be sick later.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Zack was quiet in the helicopter—so was everyone else, but Zack seemed even quieter than normal. Angeal's body was in the back compartment—where  _luggage_  would be stored, had they had any. It was such a dishonor, but no one wanted a dead body in the front. The SOLDIER was on the brink of tears, but was using shear willpower to hold the tears in until he was once again in private. Angeal was gone. There wasn't anything he could do about that now, but oh how he regretted having to kill the man. The guilt was mauling him from the inside out.

As soon as the plane touched down, Zack was out and into the building. He stormed down the stairs, avoiding all eye contact, all touching, and all people in general. With bone breaking force, he jabbed the down button on the elevator. As soon as the doors opened he stepped in, immediately pressing the close doors button. Quickly, he swiped his pass card and pressed the button for Sephiroth's floor. As much as he didn't want to face the man, he didn't want to be alone or even without the man. Sure, Sephiroth's reaction might be violent, but he wanted to take that chance. Maybe the General would kill him right there and make the pain go away. The silveret would use Masamune and hack him into two pieces, then dismember and dispose of Zack. Or maybe Sephiroth would strangle him with his bare hands, or maybe he'd snap his neck immediately.

When the doors opened, Zack took a deep breath, stepping out slowly. Slowly, he made his way down the hall, stopping just as he reached the General's apartment. He rapped at the door, prepared to wait a moment before it would open; however, the door jerked open almost immediately. Sephiroth stood in the doorway, in nothing but coal grey sweatpants. His bare chest sported a few hickies that Zack knew for a fact he didn't place there himself, but they looked to be at least a day or so old. The General's long silver locks were mused slightly, as if the man had been running his hand through it and pulling it in a death grip. Zack bit his lip.

"Is it ok if I come in?" he asked, swaying slightly. Sephiroth nodded, moving aside so the younger man could enter. Sephiroth's apartment was minimal at best. There was a black couch and one matching armchair, a coffee table between the two, a bare rug, a few strewn reports on the coffee table, barely anything in the kitchen, a bedroom, and a shower. The apartment itself was huge, easily engulfing Zack's personal quarters, and would normally serve as a shared room. However, Sephiroth was given special quarters, as high ranking as he was. Zack bee-lined for the bedroom, where he immediately collapsed face down into the perfectly made bed. He could safely assume that Sephiroth had been in the living room, still working instead of sleeping.

Sephiroth followed behind Zack, stopping at the doorway. Zack looked back at the man from the corner of his eye as the tears started to spill once again. He took a shuddering breath in before burying his face into the pillow to muffle the sobs. Slowly, Sephiroth approached the bed. He didn't quite know how to handle the situation. Tseng had called him as soon as they had landed, warning of the wreck called Zack. Carefully, the General sat next the younger, reaching out hesitantly to the teen's back.

"I killed him," Zack wailed into the pillow, heaving violently. Sephiroth began to move his hand in a small circle. "Why? Why did it have to be this way? He taught me everything I know. I'd be  _nothing_  without him. Why? I loved him. I loved him so fucking much. He was my first for almost everything. Why did he have to leave? Was I not good enough? Could he not trust me to take care of him?"

Sephiroth felt a sting in his heart as he realized Angeal was dead. He turned his eyes away from Zack and stared at the floor. He remembered when he first encountered the slightly older man. Angeal and Genesis had just come to the compound, were third class SOLDIERs. They were the only ones in the compound that could even remotely stand up to his power, and therefore they formed a bond deeper than Sephiroth had ever formed before.

The General felt as if there was something wrong with himself. Here, he had just lost one of the most important people in his life and he couldn't cry, wasn't overwhelmingly grief stricken. Instead he was numbed. He would never see Angeal again, but that didn't phase him as much as he'd thought it would. He turned back to Zack, leaned forward and moved the teen's hair from his neck. Gently he placed a kiss on the nape of Zack's neck.

Zack quieted a little as the General continued the action. Slowly, Zack turned around so he was on his back. Sephiroth quickly pressed his lips to Zack's mouth, pushing his tongue inside. Zack groaned, a fresh batch of tears streaming down his cheeks, but he didn't protest. The teen wrapped his arms around Sephiroth, pulling the larger man closer. He began to reciprocate in the kiss, though rather unenthusiastically. The silveret pulled away from Zack's lips after a few minutes, and moved to Zack's ear, taking the lobe into his mouth and playing with it.

Suddenly, Zack flipped them, using almost all his muscle power. He pulled back from Sephiroth's face, heading lower. He stopped at Sephiroth's nipples, taking one into his hand and the other into his mouth. Sephiroth wanted to swat the boy away, but sensed that it would worsen the situation. After a few moments, Zack began kissing downwards, stopping at Sephiroth's bellybutton. He shoved his tongue in, out, in, out until Sephiroth groaned lightly.

Zack pulled down the General's sweatpants, leaving the older to kick them off. The ravenet immediately took the General's half hard cock into his mouth, deep throating as much as he could. Sephiroth moaned, thrusting into Zack's throat. The teen bobbed there, moving just right so that he didn't choke. Slowly the SOLDIER worked one hand around the General's ass. He tentatively nudged at Sephiroth's hole. The older gasped disapprovingly, giving a warning growl. Zack pulled back, letting Seph's fully hard dick plop out of his mouth.

"Fuck it Seph," Zack said, breathing deeply, tears still streaming down his face. "I need this. I really need this." Sephiroth nodded. This was about control right now. Zack needed to feel a sense of control. Sephiroth would turn a blind eye to it this time.

"At least lube up your hand before probing," Sephiroth said, reaching to the nightstand and pulling out the lube. He handed the bottle to Zack, who generously coated his hand. He returned his mouth to the General's member, this time paying it more attention with his tongue. He pushed one finger into the silveret as his other hand steadied Sephiroth's cock. He licked the length several times from base to head, stopping each time to press his tongue into the head. He quickly added a second finger into Sephiroth, beginning to scissor as he took Sephiroth into his mouth as much as he could. A third finger soon followed, splaying Sephiroth's entrance as far as Zack needed it to get.

Zack removed his fingers, pulling back from Sephiroth completely as he began to strip himself. When he was done, he nudged Sephiroth's legs apart, and positioned himself just before thrusting all the way in. The General hissed slightly, but it was nothing new to be taken, as much, as he hated to admit. Zack stayed until Sephiroth thrust his hips for the teen to move. The ravenet took the signal, beginning to rapidly thrust in and out, his hands bruisingly gripping Sephiroth's hips. The General held back his moans, as Zack angled himself to the older's prostate. Zack's thrusts became faster and harder, filled with anger and rage, until finally—with tears flooding down his face and heart wrenching cry of grief—he came. He collapsed onto Sephiroth's chest, ignoring the fact that the older was still hard and needy. He was crying full force again, face burrowed into Sephiroth's chest.

The older sighed, flipping them over so that he was on top. He shifted so that Zack's flaccid member slipped out. Sephiroth began to shift Zack onto his stomach, planning to send Zack over once more. He gently lifted the boy's hips, spreading the legs just wide enough for him to comfortably push in. Slowly, Sephiroth pushed into the teen, beginning a slow and passionate rhythm—the same rhythm he knew Angeal preferred. And suddenly, Zack wasn't sleeping with Sephiroth anymore. It was Angeal that was thrusting into him, it was Angeal groaning beautifully behind him, it was Angeal making love to him. He began thrusting back against the body, moaning wantonly as he became caught up in the moment, tears lessening but still flowing.

Sephiroth sped up slightly as he felt himself coming closer. He reached around Zack and grabbed the teen's cock, pumping it in a tight grip like Angeal. They came within seconds of each other—Sephiroth with a silent groan and Zack screaming Angeal's name. Sephiroth pulled out, trying to catch his breath. He could feel Zack's cum trickling down his leg, and felt a bit annoyed by it. Instead of pursuing a shower, however, he laid down beside Zack, pulling him close to his body. The teen sobbed more quietly now, gently calling out to Angeal. He wouldn't mind being a replacement for a night.

 

-.-.-.-.-

 

A wave of pain over took Zack's senses as he waned between sleep and consciousness. His head ached like Sephiroth had taken Masamune and chopped his head opened several times and his eyes, oh Gaia, his eyes. He didn't even want to open them, they ached so much. Something shifted slightly, and all of a sudden he was completely aware of everything around him. The strong arms curled around his body, the legs intertwined with his, the gentle breath causing his hair to flutter. He snuggled into the warmth, groaning out as he gripped the body tighter. A grunt sounded from the warm body, and Zack found himself being nudged back.

"I'm not Angeal," the disembodied, completely unexpected voice of Sephiroth resounded in Zack's mind. Zack's eyes snapped open, catching the briefest glimpse of the General before snapping shut again. Holy  _hell_  his eyes hurt.

"Seph?" Zack hissed, removing one hand from the older to rub at his pained eyes.

"Yes?" the silveret asked, beginning to play with the teen's hair.

"Fuck," Zack said, the events of yesterday flooding his mind all at once. "Fuck.  _Fucking hell_."

"Yes, fucking hell. They're gone." Sephiroth's tone seemed a little deader than normal, Zack noted. It stung him like a big fat crocheting needle through the heart. Not only did he have to destroy the man he loved most, but he also killed Sephiroth's only other friends in the world. He began trembling as his world once again began crashing down piece by gargantuan piece.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," Zack began to moan. Sephiroth grabbed the boy stiffly by the arms, stilling the rocking before it could even start.

"Listen to me, Zack. It's in the past. You need to breath and get your mind off the death. If anything, I am thankful to you. I don't know how I would have reacted if I had to kill them myself," Sephiroth said, bringing the boy close again. "You have work to do today. A report to file and a short mission. It's already past noon. You should be heading out now." Zack nodded, biting his lip as he pulled away. He stood, grabbing his bloody uniform. He pulled the pants on, not bothering with the rest, and quickly left.

The elevator ride to his room was short, and the time he spent getting prepared for what was left of the day was even shorter. As he passed the mirror, he stopped. The cut from the fight with Angeal was nasty and would most likely leave a scar. He suddenly felt like the puppy bangs surrounding his face no longer suited him. He'd stop by the barber's on his way down to file the report. He carefully reached for the wash cloth, deciding he needed to carefully clean the wound out. It was the worst of the ones he'd received yesterday, leaving him with a most likely permanent reminder of the events of that day. Sighing in frustration, he threw the cloth down and left his apartment.

Once he was down in the commerce levels of the ShinRa main building, he made his way to the barber. He talked over the different styling options with the barber before deciding on something not so tragically different. The barber cut his bangs to shape in easier with the rest of his spiked back hair, leaving just one bang forward to brush his right cheek. As he gazed at the new style in the mirror, he decided he looked older than he had been. It wasn't just the now obvious length and strength of his jaw line, but his eyes. They seemed dull and filled with corrupted knowledge.

Zack hastily paid the man and left, checking his PHS for the mission. Screw the report, he needed to blow off the stress.

 

-.-.-.-.-

 

Nine P.M. Zack found himself in Lazard's office. The man was not happy in the least.

"Zack, your mission was simple. Apprehend Hollander with a team of 3rds. How is it that two were severely injured and one is dead? I gave you eight to work with, Zack. Are you that shaken up about what happened yesterday?" Lazard asked, close to yelling at the teen.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm not in the right mind right now to do anything. Every time I think about Hollander…" Zack said trailing off.

"I see. Then we have no choice. I'm sending you to Costa del Sol for two months. Be back to normal when this vacation time is up, got it?"

"Yes sir."


	9. Chapter 9

Tseng carefully shifted through the papers on his desk, taking special care to read the full details on the current file. This was quite the dilemma. Cloud's physical record was becoming a wreck, no doubt thanks in part to Reno, whom was seeing that the boy was actively sent out on missions—without making sure that the grunt would get along with the others. It was becoming troublesome as the file grew thicker. The only positive side was that Cloud never started an altercation, only defended against. The boy was at least learning to not sit and take it. But there was one other problem as well. The boy was not taking his medicine as prescribed. Tseng sighed as he contemplated the ways he could fix the problem without much fuss from the higher ups. Yes, Cloud was an asset and could be used in the future, but he was also a liability and expendable at this point.

The office door burst open as Reno bulldozed past the secretary, almost knocking her down. The teen was in his normal work attire, albeit a little shaken in appearance. The redhead stormed to his desk and slammed his hands down on the table dramatically.

"We've got a problem," Reno announced, voice deathly serious.

"What issue do you find so important that you feel the need to barge in here and create a disturbance?" Tseng asked, closing Cloud's file.

"Sephiroth," Reno stated simply.

"What about him?"

"He's been stalking Cloud."

"Stalking Cloud?"

"Yes. Well, more like, conveniently placing himself near the kid and staring at him for long periods of time. I don't think Cloud's noticed yet, or he'd be freaking out," Reno finally elaborated.

"Could it not be a coincidence that they are in certain areas because they are both military?"

"It's not a coincidence when the General of SOLDIER wanders into grunt territory. I mean, everyone knows that Sephiroth does not go to the fucking mess hall to get his lunch, yo. It's common knowledge that Sephiroth doesn't even eat lunch. He's watching Cloud, I'm telling you," Reno ranted, banging his hands down on the desk again for emphasis.

"There's not much I can do if Sephiroth is the one that's doing the stalking. It might even do the boy some good if the General takes a liking to him. It could be useful protection," Tseng dismissed.

"If Sephiroth gets his hands on Cloud, it could mean the end of that kid," Reno growled.

"It's not a crime for Sephiroth to have sex with Cloud, consensual or not. There's nothing we can do. Why are you so worked up about this anyway?"

"You set him in my care. I'm going to do my best to see him recover. He's got too much potential to let himself be devoured by those savage shits, yo. I know he could make it to B Class if he tried," Reno iterated.

"It doesn't change the fact that I can't help on this matter. Sit back and wait. If you feel Cloud's life is in danger, then feel free to brief Sephiroth on just how damaged the boy is. I doubt he'll care much, considering how damaged he is himself." Reno sneered, stood up straight and turned away.

"Alright, fine. I'm covering up the camera next time, so don't you even think of trying to watch, you voyeur," Reno spat as he left. Tseng sighed. The redhead just didn't know when to quit.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"That was the best fucking mission ever!" cried one of the grunts as he exited the helicopter. Cloud gave the guy a half-assed glare. He didn't know when to shut up. The ass was like Zack on speed and a double cappuccino—or, at least, what he guessed Zack was like when he was higher than a kite. What Cloud had heard of the young SOLDIER contradicted vastly from what he actually observed of the ravenet during that mission a month and a half ago. Everything pointed to a hyper, happy-go-lucky teen with ADD and commitment issues. However, Cloud saw the more serious side in the older boy. The Zack he met could crack a joke, sure, but he was also anxious and on edge. And Zack sure as hell wasn't himself after killing Angeal.

Cloud shook off the thoughts of the ravenet as he exited the copter. It was nearing dinnertime, but he was too tired. The vigorous exercise was enough to seal off his hunger and fatigue his muscles to the point of not functioning. An introduction to squadron leader training, they'd called it. Bull, it was more like Regulation Army Entrance Exam Part Two. It was a labyrinth in the middle of the desert, crawling with fiends and booby traps. Each member of the squad was required to lead for half an hour before passing on the role. And at the end of the maze, the asshole in charge released an adolescent behemoth on the squad, then topped it off with a tonberry after the former was defeated. The whole mission had taken well over six hours, thanks to tonberry.

Cloud felt his muscles screaming as he slinked his way into the grunt shower room. He stripped nonchalantly. The normal troublemakers had all headed to the mess hall to get in line early. The others had followed him to the shower, but he wasn't worried about them. Now that he was fighting back, he figured they would be too tired to start something. Besides, he'd more than proven himself out in the field. He was one of four that was able to lead the squad to victory over the damned tonberry.

He moved into the showers, soap and washcloth in hand. The showers were open, leaving everything in plain site. It was hard to hide things from your comrades, but it was an unspoken rule that everyone minded their own business. That still didn't stop the occasional wandering eyes. Cloud left his eyes rest briefly on each boy as he picked out a place to shower. Everyone was covered in cuts and scrapes. He felt especially sorry for the ones that were doinked. They had nasty gashes on their stomach, deeper than what was easily cured by a sip of potion.

The blond finally settled on a space and turned on the water as hot as it'd go. Sure, he'd just come from the desert, but his muscles were screaming. The intense pressure combined with the scalding heat began to instantly relax his taught muscles. He shifted slightly so the water pelted his back. Oh, Gaia, it felt good. After a few moments he began lathering the soap into his washcloth, placing the soap on a small ledge lining the walls. He was careful to scrub every part of himself thoroughly. There was sand in places he'd rather not have it and cuts and scrapes in easily agitated areas.

When he was finished, he grabbed his soap and headed back the change room, snatching a towel from the basket on his way out. Starting with his hair, he sat down on a bench. He gave it a few tussles before moving on to other parts of his anatomy. He could feel his spikes starting to rise back into place, as stubborn as ever. Nice and dry, he grabbed at the spare sweats he kept in his locker and dressed quickly. He dumped his wet towel in the dirty basket and gathered his things, heading back to his room.

He climbed the stairs leading up to the higher-ups rooms, taking his time as his muscles were still screaming bloody murder at the effort. Reno still didn't trust his peers enough to leave him down with the lowest of grunts, so he was still stuck with three higher-ranking grunts. Shoving the door to his floor open, he slunk down the hall, nearly collapsing at his door.

"Wow. You must be tired. Don't I get a hi?" Reno's disembodied voice sounded from his left. Cloud grumbled before turning around pressing his back to the door.

"What do you want?" he nearly growled.

"Hey, hey. I'm just checking in, yo. How was the mission?"

"Hell," Cloud said bluntly.

"Looks like it. Boy am I glad I'm not in my training days anymore," Reno joked, a goofy grin on his face.

"Oh like it was so hard for you," Cloud sneered, turning his head so that he could glare at Reno from the corner of his eyes.

"You'd be surprised, yo. They had me learning parkour and shit. I was training nonstop all day for like a year before I even qualified for my Turk training. And I've been here for like, what? I think four years," Reno explained.

"You've been doing this since you were so young?" Cloud asked.

"Hey, I'm only a couple years older than you. I came here maybe when I was a year or so younger than you. So it's not really that big a difference."

"Ah, yeah. I guess. Look, Reno, I'm really tired now, so can you fuck off?"

"Uh, sure. I'll let ya have some peace. But, uh, here," Reno said, handing Cloud a bottle. "You look like you need it, yo. And don't worry about paying me back." The redhead retreated as soon as Cloud's hands were firmly grasping the potion. Cloud looked at the glass container with a bit of a disgruntled expression. He sighed, shrugged and figured, what the heck? He removed the cork and downed the potion in one go. He felt a little lightheaded, not used to taking a full thing at once, but ignored it as the desired effect was near immediate. He sighed contentedly and opened the door. He stumbled back as his support disappeared. He regained his balance just enough to make it to the bed before collapsing, asleep.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

The Great General Sephiroth growled at the papers on his desk. Fuck them. He had more important things to do. Like find out the name of that grunt without actually asking anyone or letting on that he was interested. With Zack taking time off, his one source of nerve calming sex was gone, out the window—flown away like a bird. The silveret made up his mind—the next morning, when he had his psychiatrist appointment, he would pointedly bump into the damned doctor and steal a look at the name. The grunt was coming to see the quack less and less often, but the appointments were still early in the morning—right after Sephiroth's. So everything would work out fine, he was sure.

Deciding that the paperwork could wait another fourteen hours or so, Sephiroth pushed away from his desk. He felt the need to escape into a place that no one would bug him. While the thoughts of chasing down the blond beauty were a nice distraction, the death of his two friends still weighed heavily on his mind. He slammed his office door open and gave his secretary a grunt as he swiftly exited to the elevator. Nearly breaking the number pad, he jabbed at the ground level button. He'd go for a walk around the compound. Clear his head. Maybe visit the places they had always gone together.

As soon as the doors had opened wide enough, Sephiroth slipped out and into the lobby. He ignored the few people loitering around the lobby as he swiftly exited the building. The night air was crisp and pleasant—not too chilly, but cool enough to nip at his bare chest. The General kept his pace up as he turned the corner of the building sharply and walked along the side of the building to the training fields in the back.

The fields weren't large at all, consisting of only four hundred-yard fields with tracks surrounding them. Each field had its own purpose for training, though it was mostly used by cadets. SOLDIER and the officers of the Regulation Army had their own floors dedicated solely to training their men. There were also three separate weight rooms open to all employees of ShinRa. The fields, as Sephiroth understood it, were the original trodding ground of the full Regulation Army, when ShinRa had first established it. When SOLDIER was established, another field was added to facilitate the much smaller group of men. As both factions and the company grew, the main forces were moved inside, training was scheduled to be in locations outside Midgar, and the fields fell to training and testing cadets.

He imagined that the blond grunt must still be seeing a great deal of the fields. The boy was young looking, no older than fourteen or fifteen, meaning he was either still a cadet or a newly promoted member of the Regulation Army. Since the boy was seeing a psychiatrist, however, Sephiroth was more willing to bet the grunt had made it into ShinRa officially.

Sephiroth sighed, coming upon the field containing the obstacle course. He remembered coming as a young boy to the field to participate in the entrance test. He had already been a part of SOLDIER at the time, but Hojo had forced him into taking the test to prove that he was genuinely the best. The bastard had gloated for years at the fact that he was the only one to pass the test with a perfect score. The coot had it shoved in his face by Hollander later when Genesis and Angeal had taken the test. Hollander had been working in Banora on and off since before any of the three had been born and had practically hand selected Genesis and Angeal for SOLDIER. Both had blown away Hojo's expectations, scoring perfects. By the time the two were thirds, Sephiroth was already a second, nearing another promotion.

Sephiroth had known the two since he was around the age of ten, but he'd only call them mere acquaintances at that point. He did not truly get to know them until they were placed under his direct command at the age of eighteen. Sure, he'd had prolonged encounters with them before hand where they had formed a loose friendship, but trust between temporary partners on a mission and trust between SOLDIERs in a Special Ops unit was completely different.

Relations between Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth had started out strained. At sixteen, the three debuted in Wutai, decimating the enemy forces. But Genesis and Angeal combined barely killed half of the number that Sephiroth had in just those few hours. They had been shocked, if not horrified, at Sephiroth's strength, leaving them too reserved around the silveret. It only worsened matters that Sephiroth was much higher classed than they were. The gap in the right between the then A3 Angeal and Genesis and the S1 Sephiroth was blindingly obvious. However, as they began working under Sephiroth directly, the gap between their apparent abilities lessening, a deeper understanding formed between the three. They were inseparable in the two years before Sephiroth was promoted to General. While all three had been promoted, Sephiroth found himself overwhelmingly busy with directing the movements of SOLDIER on the battlefield, moving between the frontlines and Midgar, and doing endless hours of paperwork.

The fields invoked so many memories with his dearest friends. The three of them would often visit the fields late at night for additional training—training that was outside in the fresh crisp air and not on the stuffy SOLDIER floor. It was in one of the nooks of the wall facing the fields that Sephiroth had had his first truly pleasurable sexual experience. Sure there had been a few curious hand before, but nothing until then could have compared to the feel of Genesis's mouth wrapped around his cock as Angeal's tongue battled with his own.

It had been at these fields where Sephiroth had met one of the most life altering people in all his existence. It was Angeal's birthday, and the three had gathered outside the fields to watch the cadets make fools of themselves. The SOLDIER cadets were out that day, making just as big asses out of themselves as the regular cadets. However one stood out above the rest—one that made the biggest ass out of himself, had great strength but absolutely no concentration whatsoever, and had the most strikingly cocky strut since Genesis walked the field as a cadet. That was the day that Angeal decided he wanted to take on an apprentice.

With thoughts of Zack drifting into his mind, Sephiroth turned away from the fields. He wondered if the ravenet was handling the situation any better now that some time had passed. He wouldn't blame Zack if he'd gone into a catatonic state from grief. The General could only hope that Zack would make a healthy and swift recovery from the blow.

Having done absolutely nothing to clear his head, Sephiroth entered the side staircase to the building. Maybe, just maybe, climbing seventy some-odd sets of stairs could ease his mind.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Sephiroth eyed the desk in the corner of the psychiatrist's office. That was the desk that housed all the files, the desk that had the blond grunt's file. It was lying right on top of the desk, he could see it, but for the love of the goddess, he just could not see the name on it. The damned doctor had noticed where his eyes were drifting about twenty minutes earlier, but had yet to say anything. Sephiroth rarely talked during these sessions, which greatly pissed the psychiatrist off. But in his opinion, the man wasn't any better than Hojo. He would have to have a word with the president about this psychiatrist. He was sure he was making the patients worse, rather than better.

"Are you going to continue pretending everything in your world is happy and peach colored with cream? Or are you going to finally admit that you have issues with the traitors' death?" the psychiatrist spoke. The General knew the man had a name, but he never really cared enough about the wackjob to remember it.

"Whoever said I try to live in a rose-colored world?" Sephiroth asked the psychiatrist.

"The traitors were your friends, they have been killed, and what's more, by the person who became closest to you after they betrayed ShinRa. You have to be feeling something inside, yet you've yet to talk about it."

"I may not be able to fully understand my emotions, but I have already come to terms with their death. I hold no grudge against Zack for what he did, and if it were not for my current position, I would be with him in Costa Del Sol, comforting him. Now they are dead, but the reason they betrayed ShinRa has still not been brought to full light. It is my job now to find out why."

"You are something else, Sephiroth. If you are like this now, then I wonder what you would be like if you had been the one to bring their lives to an end."

"I did not, so it does not matter," Sephiroth said sharply. "Though I wonder, how much of this contributes to Hojo's study of my life?"

"Nothing leaves this room, Sephiroth. Everything you say is safe here." At that Sephiroth laughed.

"Safe? I would have to disagree. There are cameras in every corner of the room, and you wear a microphone. There's a recording device hidden in the lamp. I am not a damned fool like the others who come to see you." The psychiatrist chuckled.

"Impressive. We use the most state of the art spying technology, yet you're still able to spot all of them."

"You will be writing this in my file won't you?"

"File? Are you interested in it? Is that why you've been staring at my desk?"

"No. I was wondering what kind of lies you could have written in Angeal and Genesis' files," Sephiroth said bitterly. The psychiatrist stiffened, obviously not cozy to the fact that he was being called out.

"Well, look at the time. I'm afraid our session is over for today, General," the man said. Sephiroth carefully watched as the coot rose from his chair, timing his own motions just right. He stood, bumping into the psychiatrist with just enough force to knock the man into his desk, splaying the file folders on his desk. The file under his own becoming visible, Sephiroth made a quick mental note of the name: Cloud Strife. Oh, what a fitting name for such a beauty.

"Oh, how clumsy of me. I must not have been paying attention," Sephiroth said, moving to make sure the man was not too jostled. "I'm terribly sorry."

"No, no, I'm fine. My papers are just a bit messed up now, but nothing I can't easily fix. See you tomorrow, Sephiroth," the man said, waving the General off.

"Yes, well, good day then," the silveret said, nodding toward the psychiatrist as he exited. As he neared the elevators, he could see the grunt—no, Cloud —entering the lobby. Ah such a sweet, simply little victory it was to know the boy's name.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More scenes direct from the game.

The sirens blared, causing Cloud to snap out of his slumber. It couldn't have been anywhere near wake up call, he decided, since he was practically wired to wakeup before those bells went off. No, these sirens were different. It took him a good four seconds to realize that it was the scramble command. One of his roommates grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard.

"Get up Strife, something big's happening," his roommate said before leaving him to scramble into his clothes. Cloud rolled from the bed, landing on his feet and steadying himself with one hand. He grabbed for his clothes at the foot of his bad and dressed as fast as he could. He grabbed his weapons, securely strapping them in their proper places.

"Sir! Where do I report?" Cloud called out to his roommates. Two of them paused for a moment, looking at each other.

"Come with us, Strife, since you aren't with your Squad. It'll take too long for you to get down there," One said, motioning for the blond to follow. Cloud nodded, falling in line behind the others as they ran from their room and down the hall. They took a few sharp turns before stopping in an area where about fifty people were gathered. Cloud could hear someone barking orders with a microphone at the men that were gathering. Cloud fell in line with the others, his odd bandana color setting him off from the rest of the infantrymen. When the people finally stopped trickling in, the commanding officers began to bark orders.

"Stand at attention! This is a state of emergency, everyone pay attention! Genesis copies have laid siege to Junon! Casualties are already great, and they have requested back up. Company A, you are assigned to this mission, depart immediately. You will receive further orders upon departure!" the officer screamed at the men. Cloud felt a chill go down his back. He couldn't just go with the men in Company A, he wasn't a part of that. As the men scrambled to get to the hangers, Cloud made his way to the commanding officer. As he neared, he saw the colors designating the man as a First Lieutenant. Cloud stood at attention.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant, Sir!" Cloud yelled over the sirens "Private Second Class Cloud Strife, Sir! I was advised to report with my roommates, Sir, but I'm a part of Company 1225! Orders, sir?" The Lieutenant turned to Cloud, giving him a once over.

"Stay with Company A, join a platoon and get your ass to Junon, Private, I will inform your Unit where you are going. Now go!" the Lieutenant yelled harshly.

"Sir!" Cloud yelled, nodding. He took a step back before running down the hall to follow the other infantrymen. When he arrived on the airstrip, copters were already taking flight.

"Strife!" one of his roommates called from a copter. Cloud ran over, taking the older teen's hand as he was hoisted into the copter just as it was taking off. His roommate shoved him towards the back of the cabin where there was still an empty seat. Cloud seated and strapped himself in as the commanding officer started barking orders.

"It will take approximately three hours to reach Junon from Midgar. Upon arrival you are to make your way to level six! You are to clear out as many copies and robots as possible! Secure your area. Protect civilians and tend to wounded! Remember, the people on this level are Class B3 and above! The less civilian casualties the better!"

Cloud sighed, not liking the sounds of this mission. All he knew about the copies was that they were incredibly dangerous, and the matter of protecting higher classed civilians only complicated matters. If an infantryman and a civilian were both injured, the civilian would take precedence over the infantryman, even if the civilian was useless to the fighting cause. He foresaw the situation becoming incredibly bloody fast.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

About halfway into the flight, the helicopter suddenly veered off course, headed towards the mountain range. The infantrymen began mumbling possibilities to one another for the sudden course correction. After about twenty minutes the copter began to descend at the base of the mountain chain. A ShinRa military jeep pulled up a few moments later, breaking as it reached the copter. After a few moments the doors to the vehicle opened and the general stepped down from the cab. He made his way swiftly to the copter, pulling himself in as the pilot started to take off again. The gossiping had ceased the moment the General stepped onto the copter. The sergeant in charge of the platoon stood to greet Sephiroth.

"General, sir, I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but we are already at maximum capacity. Would you prefer to sit with the pilot or to take my seat?" the sergeant asked. The General looked around at the boys in the cabin. Most them had removed their helms for comfort while flying in the helicopter for the prolonged time. He was delightedly surprised when his eyes landed on a certain blond. Cloud Strife was on board the helicopter that had come to pick him up. What luck. He steeled his expressions, not wanting to frighten the boy, or any of the others in the copter.

"Near the pilot," Sephiroth answered, turning away. He couldn't let on that he was interested in Cloud—no, that would completely ruin everything. He would make his move later, but first he needed to extort every ounce of information about the boy's platoon he could before they landed in Junon.

"Ah, then please, sit here," The sergeant directed. Sephiroth nodded, taking his seat. The sergeant returned to the cabin, seating himself again. Cloud felt paralyzed. The General was on the same helicopter he was. Although the man was beautiful, he had a frightening presence. It was much different than the one he had become accustomed to when passing him at the psychiatrist. This face of the General intimidated him, causing him to hope that they had as little contact as possible while on the mission. Cloud couldn't get the two questions out of his head, though. Just what had Sephiroth been doing in the mountains, and why was he now getting picked up by a helicopter on its way to Junon?

When the copter touched down on the landing bay at Junon, the infantrymen scrambled out. Cloud followed suit as they entered the elevator that took them down to level six. The sergeant took off running first from the elevator, motioning with his hand for the rest to follow. The group was guided from the main street into the facilities. Cloud could make out gunfire coming from just down the hall. Before the platoon could reach the end, a body was blasted back into the wall from an intersecting hallway. The firing continued, shooting the already dead body into pieces.

"Squad A, you support the survivors on this hall, Squad B, continue down the hall!" the Sergeant major barked. A staff sergeant grabbed Cloud's arm, dragging him down the hall.

"You're with me, kid," the man said, as he shoved Cloud in front towards the doors that another person was holding open. "You better be damn decent if you're planning on making it out of here alive." Cloud felt a shiver go down his spine at the comment, but didn't reply. He ran through the doors and joined the squad. This area seemed calm compared to the area they had just left.

"Team one, split up and secure the rear sector. Team two, follow me into the front," the Staff Sergeant barked. He once again grabbed Cloud's arm and began dragging him. As they proceeded into the compound, the sergeant ordered for the team to split up further, leaving Cloud alone with the sergeant. There had yet to be enemies, but Cloud was still anxious.

The hallway ended at a set of opened double doors, leading into a large office room. Cloud spotted a hand on the ground, just far enough out to be visible from ten feet away. Cloud made a move to speed up, but the Sergeant held out a hand for Cloud to stop. He placed a finger over respirator on his helmet, telling Cloud not to speak. They began towards the door at a slow pace, guns raised and ready to fire. When they reached the doors, the Sergeant entered first, shooting off a few rounds before Cloud entered behind him.

There was a group of men in uniforms that looked strikingly similar to the ShinRa guard's except for the vibrant red color. Cloud began to open fire, knowing that this had to be the enemy. One of the Copies dodged, successfully evading the majority of the bullets and dashed to the sergeant, blowing a hole in the man's stomach before swinging a kick at Cloud. The sergeant fell to the ground, incapacitated. Cloud blocked the kick with his gun before shoving the copy back and opening fire on it again. This time he hit several vital spots and the copy collapsed, dead. Cloud rushed to the Sergeant, checking for a pulse. He found one and began searching the superior for the man's potions. As soon as he found one, he uncorked it and forced the man to drink. As the wounds began to knit themselves together, Cloud left the Sergeant to make sure the rest of the room was secure.

He stepped over four dead copies and found an additional two ShinRa infantrymen on the floor. It seemed that the room was secured for the moment, so he took to attending the others. At least one was still alive, so he forced the man to drink a potion before half dragging, half carrying the man to lay next to the Sergeant. Cloud began digging around under the Staff Sergeant's bandana to find his dog tags. The walkie talkie on the man's side began crackling to life as men began to report in. All the areas were clear. Cloud grabbed the walkie-talkie and pressed the talk button.

"This area is secure, however Staff Sergeant…" Cloud paused as he looked at the name on the tags, "Valesso has been injured and is unconscious. There is one other injured."

"Good job at securing the area. The nearest team will be there to assist you with the inured, we'll be moving back out to the streets. This building is secure," the voice of the Sergeant Major crackled over the device. Cloud sighed, ready to leave the area. Once the other members in the team arrived, two of the bigger men saw to carrying the injured out. The two teams reunited and later joined the rest of the squad as they exited.

They charged down the street, firing at anything that got in their way as they approached the gate to upper Junon. Several copies, as well as robotic attack droids, were still wandering around the streets. While he was taking out a group of droids, Cloud was shot in the shoulder by a clone. One of the other men fired back, taking the copy out. Cloud dropped his guard momentarily, grabbing at his shoulder with his free hand. He could feel the blood starting to seep out. His comrade was instantly at his side.

"Hey, the kid's injured!" He called before taking out a potion. "Hey, kid, don't drink it all down. If the bullet's still in there, and you drink the whole thing, you'll have a bullet in your shoulder for life." Cloud nodded in understanding, taking only a small sip. The older infantryman scooped Cloud in towards his body as he pushed through the forces to get them to the gate. Cloud could see Tseng making a fuss at the gate, directing a young female Turk in battle as he was working on the switch. It did not take long for them to reach the relative peace of the gate. The Turk girl was a far more advanced fighter than the infantrymen and was easily able to do away with the lesser copies.

Tseng looked away from the switch's circuit board to check on Cissnei, only to see a squad of infantrymen arriving at the gate. Among them, a smaller boy was bleeding. The boy was taken to a wall to be treated. Cissnei returned to Tseng, nodding.

"It seems this sector is completely secure now," she said. Tseng nodded, looking down the road.

"The switch is still unresponsive, I'll continue to work on it, you talk to the grunts," Tseng ordered.

"Tseng, I think… Isn't that boy leaned against the wall Cloud?" Cissnei asked, looking back at her superior. Tseng left the switch to investigate the claim, unhappy when he found it the truth. The boy should have been back in Midgar patrolling the slums with the rest of his company.

"So it seems," Tseng said.

"It appears that he's been shot. I don't think the bullet's exited judging by the way they're digging around in his wound like that," Cissnei observed.

"Cissnei, work on the switch. I'll attend to Cloud," Tseng ordered. Cissnei nodded, taking to the switch's circuit board. Tseng moved towards the group huddled around Cloud, pushing a few to the side. "What are you doing?" the boy attempting to get the bullet from Cloud's shoulder looked up at him.

"S-sir! He's got a bullet in the socket. We need to get it out and get him healed before he loses too much blood."

"You won't get anywhere with cleaning materials and fingers. Let me do it," Tseng said, leaning down in front of Cloud.

"Sir! No, you shouldn't be doing this, He's not as important as the gate!" One of the other men called from the group. Tseng ignored the comment and he nudged the man that had been operating away.

"Ts-tseng," Cloud stuttered upon realizing that the Turk was there.

"Relax, Strife, I'm here to get this bullet out. It's going to hurt, but bear with it," Tseng said, reaching into his suit jacket and pulling out a set of surgical knives. One would think it was odd to carry such items, but to a Turk, they were most valuable. Not only did they come in handy at times such as this, but they were also excellent lock picking materials and good to use during assassinations.

"Don't worry, I can handle pain. It won't be anything new," Cloud said, leaning his back against the wall. Tseng nodded, understanding the meaning of the boy's words quite well. He began picking at the wound until he located the bullet. It had been lodged under the clavicle where it met the shoulder joint. Cloud hissed as he hastily removed the bullet. Tseng tossed it aside before casting a Curaga spell on Cloud. The Turk stood, tucking his tool back into his jacket before zipping it back up.

"Stand up, Strife," Tseng directed before turning back to the others. "Prepare to storm the tunnel as soon as the gate opens!" the infantrymen began to buzz as they reloaded and began healing. Tseng headed back to the gate, reaching it just as it began to open. "Move!" he yelled, beginning to run in himself.

Zack Fair was standing in the middle of the tunnel in front of a destroyed tank. Tseng stopped halfway to Zack, the infantrymen storming in around, securing the rest of the area. Two Second Class SOLDIERs joined the group behind them. Zack turned to face the Turk.

"We've killed most of the enemies in this area and contained the rest. We'll lock off this section and begin evacuating and saving the injured," Tseng said, before stepping closer to Zack.

"Great. It looks like everything's handled on your side then," Zack said, cracking a sheepish grin. "Unfortunately, Hollander's escaped. I lost track of him when I entered the tunnel. I need to get going."

"We're counting on you," Tseng said nodding. Zack turned around and began running towards the second gate. From the corner of his eye he glimpsed blond spikes. He did a quick double take, realizing that it was the grunt from Modeoheim—the other country boy. And then he saw the blood on the teen's shoulder. Zack quickly moved towards the Private, not caring that the action was completely out of order.

"Cloud?" he questioned. The blond's eyes snapped towards him, a bit of fear tinting their sky blue color. "Dude, are you ok? Your shirt's all bloody."

"I-I'm fine, sir," Cloud said timidly, looking around at the others as their attention was drawn to the conversation. "I was shot, but my wound has already been healed."

"Aw, damn. At least you're ok now. Say, if you make it out of here unharmed, I should take you to dinner. You know, celebrate your first major combative mission success," Zack suggested, hitting the younger gently on his clean shoulder. Cloud winced slightly, uncomfortable with the touch.

"I-I don't know, sir," the blond replied timidly. It wasn't that he didn't like Zack (that he wasn't certain about), but more that he was afraid that accepting the invitation would negatively affect the opinions of the men that he was placed with as a refuge from his peers. The last thing he needed was harassment from his roommates.

"Come on, it'll be fun. I'll come find you at the mess hall once it's all over and take you out for a night you'll remember!" Zack said, ginning before running off. He could hear Cloud stuttering to object from behind him, but he didn't care.

After a few more seconds he heard one of the other infantrymen call, "What the hell, Strife? You know both Tseng and Zack Fair?" Zack chuckled at them before exiting into the next section of the tunnel. Maybe he'd get Cloud some friends, even if they'd just hang out with him to get at Zack. It couldn't hurt the kid too much; the blond was too shy—deliciously hot, yes—but incredibly—cutely, even—shy.

Zack shook his head; he had to steel his mind for what he had to do. Hollander was on the loose and it meant that he had to focus on catching the man again before he ran back into the arms of the enemy. He pressed the button for the gate to open and dashed through. The tunnel continued on the other side, leading to another gate. He ran down the hall, not encountering any further bars. He pressed the button for the last gate to open and ran out. He could see Hollander at the end of the road, making for the airstrips. Zack cursed, darting forward as fast as he could. Several robotic enemies began making their way down the road, headed towards him and the gate.

"Dammit Hollander! When I get my hands on you!" Zack yelled, beginning to hack away at the robots. He laid them to waste relatively easily; one slice for the smaller, two for the larger. He slammed his hand on the switch to open the gate to the airstrips, running through as soon as it was wide enough. He ran onto the joint between the main structure of Junon and the main airstrip, stopping only to slice the chains that closed the too tall gate. Kicking the gate open, he continued, spotting Hollander flailing towards the edge.

"Ha. Looks like a dead end, bugger, now come back calmly. That's far enough!" Zack said, stepping closer. The older man looked behind himself at the drop he faced if he took another step back.

"Really? Are you sure?" Hollander said before raising his hand and allowing himself to fall over the edge. Zack started, rushing forward to try to save the man.

"H-hey!" He called, his hand reaching out and almost grabbing the man's lab coat. The fabric fluttered back, slipping past Zack's fingertips. He was shocked. The man had apparently committed suicide. "What is he…" Zack trailed off as two Genesis copies suddenly flew up from past the ledge, carrying Hollander away. "Dammit. Should have known." Cissnei and Tseng ran past him, headed towards a copter to pursue the scientist.

"Mission failed. This is going on your permanent record," a familiar deep, silky voice said from behind Zack. The ravenet knew instantly whom it was, turning around as swiftly as he could.

"Sephiroth! Long time no see!" Zack said, his face lightening up at the sight of his lover.

"Let the Turks take care of it from here on," Sephiroth instructed, as he moved towards the end of the airstrip.

"Sorry about letting that bastard get away," Zack said, kicking at the ground.

"It's not your problem from here on."

"Right. So, uh, why are you here exactly?"

"I was on my way to Modeoheim by jeep when I heard of the attacks. I didn't have any interest in coming until I heard that they pulled you from your… vacation a week early to have you fight. So I radioed in for a copter," Sephiroth explained.

"Lucky me," Zack said, placing his arms behind his head.

"Everything here is calm now, but the situation is not resolved. There have been sightings of Genesis copies all around the world."

"That can't be," Zack said, lowering his arms and scrunching his nose in puzzlement. "We defeated all of those copies."

"Is Genesis really dead?" Sephiroth questioned whimsically. Zack thought back to Genesis' suicide, and decided that there was a great possibility of him being alive. Could that have meant that Angeal was possibly still alive too? His heart leapt at the thought. Even though he was back to acting normal, he hadn't fully come to terms with what had happened that day. He was still aching inside, and he knew that Sephiroth was probably too, to some extent. "They've been sighted in Midgar too. Even in the slums."

"No…" Zack said, his mind shooting to Aerith. Sure, she wasn't his closest companion, but he still cared for her a lot. He may not have seen her in several months, but he had made several phone calls over the course of his so-called vacation. He needed to make sure she was safe. Sephiroth quietly looked over his younger lover, taking in his reaction. He quickly concluded that the teen was thinking about someone important there.

"Permission to return granted," Sephiroth said, turning away to look back out at the ocean. Zack was a bit shocked. The General was telling him to go home instead of accompany him for the night before returning. It caught him off guard. "Take care," the silveret said, trying to usher Zack off with words.

"Why were you going to Modeoheim?" Zack asked, not wanting to leave Sephiroth, but at the same time curious to all of the other events he'd missed.

"The device that Hollander was using has been stolen," Sephiroth answered simply, not turning around to look at Zack.

"Genesis?" Zack questioned a bit timidly.

"Probably," the older answered solemnly. Zack could hear the sadness in the General's distraught voice. All thoughts of Aerith cleared momentarily as thoughts of pulling Sephiroth into the nearest closet to kiss and screw began to take over his mind. He wanted to comfort the man, much like Sephiroth had done for him almost two months ago. Sephiroth sensed Zack's unease and turned his head to glance at the boy from the corner of his eye. "Don't worry. We'll see each other again soon."

"I'll hold you to that," Zack said, nodding resolutely. The moment he heard that Sephiroth was back at the base, he was going to drag that nice piece of ass to the nearest concealed place and screw his brains out. He began to back up slowly before turning around fully.

Only when Zack's back was towards him did Sephiroth turn to look at the teen. A small smile began tugging on his lips as he looked after the boy with a hint of longing.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Zack ran from the sector five slums station to the church, the anticipation to see Aerith becoming nearly unbearable. As the church came into view he paused, feeling a presence behind him. He peeked over his shoulder, only to find nothing. He shrugged before continuing on his way. He pushed open the church doors and just as he was about to call out a cheerful greeting to Aerith, he saw it. A beast, much like the ones that accompanied Genesis clones in more sparsely populated regions. It was dog-like in shape, but thinner than any breed he'd seen before. Armor covered the majority of the beast. One big wing protruded from its shoulder, a smaller one from the other. Aerith was standing behind the beast, unsure of what to do.

Zack reached for the buster sword, preparing to slay the animal if it attacked. However, the creature simply raised its head, revealing the crest of Angeal's face on the bottom. Zack balked, pulling back. An Angeal copy. If it existed then Angeal had to have been alive. He released his hold on the sword and relaxed, stepping towards the beast cautiously. Suddenly the church doors pushed open wider. Zack snapped his attention to the intruder, a robot. Zack quickly moved back, getting in a stance to protect Aerith. The Angeal clone suddenly rushed at the robot, ramming full force. It crunched in and exploded. The beast stepped back, standing victorious for a moment before collapsing. Zack rushed to its side.

"It was protecting us…" Zack said solemnly. He could see no injuries on the creature's body, but it was clear to him that it was degrading, slowly, but surely. Zack cursed inwardly. This had to be following Angeal's will. Otherwise the creature wouldn't be there protecting instead of destroying them. Suddenly the creature lurched up to its feet. Zack backed off, giving it space. It began beating its wings, slowly lifting off the ground. Slowly, it flew to a ceiling beam, where it perched itself, staring down at Zack.

"It seems so sad," Aerith said, looking up at it. Zack glanced at the girl. He'd found out only recently from Cissnei, but the girl was an Ancient. She had a connection with all living things and the lifestream. He knew he could believe her if she said something like that. Zack frowned, staring back up at the creature.

"So, uh, Zack! It's been a while," Aerith said, tugging on Zack's hand to get his attention. "Tell me about Costa Del Sol." Zack looked down at her and forced a smile.

"Ah, Costa Del Sol. It was great. The sun was shining bright and the view of the ocean was gorgeous. I really want to take you there someday."

"Lots of sun? Sounds kind of scary…" Aerith said, diverting her eyes from his.

"Trust me, it's not. I'll get you used to it. First I'll take you up to the plate, and then one day I'll take you out to the country where you can see the real sun. Midgar's covered in pollution, so not all of the sun even shines down here."

"If you say so," Aerith said timidly. She looked back up at Zack. "Hey, let's make me a flower wagon." Zack almost groaned at the idea. The things he did to keep cuties interested in him.


	11. Chapter 11

"DIRECTOR OF SOLDIER MISSING" the large print on the Midgar Weekly screamed. Sephiroth felt uneasy as he began to read the article. Most of the information in it was bull, complete gossip, but it struck home on a few key facts. Director Lazard had indeed run off, about a month after Zack was put on vacation actually. The Director was funneling money into an illegal operation, but it was not AVALANCHE. And finally, if Lazard was caught, he would face an extremely severe punishment, despite the fact that he was Class A1.

ShinRa had planned on keeping the whole situation a secret, planning to eventually release a statement that said the Director fell into ill health and had to resign. But that damned Midgar Weekly—which was no more than a mere gossip magazine—had caught a leak from higher intelligence with in the company and it was all splattered around the city now.

This did not bode well for either SOLDIER or ShinRa; on top of the duties that had been transferred to him after Genesis and Angeal abandoned SOLDIER, the weight of SOLDIER's operations and regulations fell onto Sephiroth's shoulders. Sephiroth felt a migraine growing in his temple. Sephiroth was not a political machine! He was a fighter. There was a difference, and by the Goddess he would take it up with the President at the board meeting in two hours. He could handle the damned SOLDIERs if they just instated a new director to handle the politics.

The General crushed the paper in his hand, shortly thereafter balling it up and launching it at the wall in rage. This was not what he wanted to come back to. He was hoping that after the all nighter he had pulled inspecting Modeoheim he could come back, fill out his damned report and take the rest of the day relatively easy. He would go and find that wonderful blond Cloud boy, corner him somewhere and see his reaction. But all his plans turned moot upon discovering the damned paper.

He rose from his desk and headed towards the elevator. The SOLDIER floor was no doubt going to be buzzing with gossip and misunderstandings. He had to get the situation under control immediately within his ranks. ShinRa was most likely working to get the rumors quelled in the city, and had definitely pursued the reporter and sentenced him to quiet execution by Turk. The man had slandered ShinRa so it was only seen fit to spirit the man away into the lifestream quietly.

The murmur of the gossip was audible through the elevator doors when it reached Level 49. The doors pinged open and the SOLDIERs near the elevator quickly shut up. He gave the men a stern look before exiting the elevator. Swiftly, he moved to the most populous area of the floor, people going silent as he walked further in, he began his announcement.

"I am sure that all of you have read the Midgar Weekly, considering the amount of racket you are raising over its authenticity. Yes, Director Lazard has left ShinRa, but you are all fools if you believe what that tabloid has to say. If I hear any more of this rank filth coming from your mouth, I will personally see to your individual unpleasant punishment. Do I make myself clear?" His tone was obviously impatient and angry, scaring all on the floor that witnessed the scene, including Zack. All of the men in the room snapped into their finest form, calling in unison that they indeed understood the General's orders. Sephiroth merely nodded before turning on his heel and returning to the elevator.

Zack pushed through the crowd in an attempt to catch up with the silveret. He caught the elevator doors just before they closed. Prying them open, he stepped inside and let them close behind him. Sephiroth gave the teen a harsh look, his eyes cold.

"You're really hacked off at this, aren't you?" Zack said, not daring to touch the man before him.

"Very," Sephiroth quipped. When the elevator pinged, he pushed Zack out of his way and reentered his office floor. He stormed back to his office, slamming the door open. Zack was quick to follow, catching the door before it shut. He slipped into the office wearily and quietly closed the door behind him.

"You're tensing up. You need to relax some before you start shooting jets of blood from your eyes," Zack said, finally moving closer to the General. The teen barely had the tip of his finger on Sephiroth before his hand was slapped away. The older growled and collapsed into his office chair, rolling it close to the desk and cradling his head.

"I'm sorry. I am… just irritable from a migraine. It's been coming and going. Coming with the paper work, leaving with the battlefield," Sephiroth said, his voice rough and miserable.

"Has it really increased that much?" Zack asked, giving the room a quick look around. Aside from the stack of papers in the IN box on the General's desk, there was a pile as tall as the desk on the floor next to the desk.

"I am not cut out to be a politician for this damned company. I am here to plan battles and send grunts to their gory doom before taking up my sword and killing a thousand troops myself," Sephiroth bemoaned. Zack scrunched his nose at the way Sephiroth described his position as General of the Armies. Zack sighed, reaching out for the man's broad shoulders.

"I think you need to relax a little. Calm down before the board meeting. You don't want to bite anyone's head off now, do you? I think it'd be fit to cut that big ass table to shreds though. You know, piss the President off some and get your point across. But you can't go in like this. You'll prolly massacre the President if you see him like this," Zack said, slowly beginning to massage the muscular shoulders. Sephiroth groaned in approval, leaning back into the touch. This caused Zack to grin, feeling the muscles practically melt under his deft fingers.

After a few moments the teen slid his hands around Sephiroth's neck, hugging him tightly. He placed a few chaste kissed on the silver hair, enjoying how its silky texture felt against his lips. Slowly he released the man and moved around to the General's front. He gently pushed the chair away from the desk and crawled beneath it into the leg space. Sephiroth watched the teen with a small amount of amusement. Zack only smirked, resting his arms in the older man's lap. The ravenet leaned up and pecked the still hunched over General on the lips, pulling back slowly with a bit of a naughty grin on his lips.

Sephiroth wouldn't let the boy retreat, dipping his head farther down to catch the teen's lips in a far more involved kiss. Zack was grinning into the kiss, but Sephiroth didn't seem to mind. The young SOLDIER raised his arms, ensnaring the General's head and pulling it further down as he pressed upwards slightly. Their mouths opened and tongues met, clashing in a mock battle for dominance, which Zack soon relinquished before pulling away.

"Think you have enough time to do some unwinding before the meeting?" Zack asked, his eyes bright with lust and mischief.

"No, but fucking hell if I don't make some," Sephiroth said gruffly, removing his hands from his head and swiftly scooping Zack up into his lap.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Sated for the moment, Zack decided that that little blond chocobo head needed to get out and celebrate surviving the closet thing he'd get to war now that the truce with Wutai had been signed. He'd pulled the kid from whatever the hell he was doing—Zack didn't really care what Cloud had been doing, and the blond's superiors could get over him not doing what he was supposed to be doing—and was dragging him down the lobby to head into the city.

"Come on squirt, don't fight back. It's gonna be a blast, trust me," Zack assured when Cloud attempted to get free of his grasp and run away. "I know this great bar and grill in Sector Two that makes food just like my mom. They have the best truffamuffins this side of the world and like Gysahl pickles to die for."

"Zack, this is not a good idea, trust me. First off I don't even know what a truffamuffin is—" Cloud started to complain. Zack gasped in surprise, and interrupted loudly.

"A truffamuffin is only the most delicious thing ever. It's like this giant muffin goodness with truffaluffin berries and orgula nuts and cinnamon. You fucking have to try one."

"Fine, I will, if they even serve me. I don't think they will, Zack," Cloud said, still trying unsuccessfully to get his hand free. Zack grinned.

"They'll serve you, trust me," Zack said, continuing to drag Cloud out the building and into the streets.

"Alright already, I'll come with you," Cloud conceded. "Just let go of my hand. I can follow you without a lead."

"Harness," Zack off handedly corrected, comparing the kid to a timid chocobo rather than a puppy.

"E-excuse me?" Cloud stuttered, balking at the statement and not moving forward.

"Uh, nevermind," Zack said, the realization that what he had just said could be taken the wrong way, and already had. "Let's just go." Zack released the Private's hand and motioned with it for him to follow. Cloud rolled his eyes. As if he needed to be told to follow.

Zack worked his way through the small crowd in the town immediately surrounding ShinRa, occasionally glancing back at Cloud to make sure he hadn't lost him. Once they made it to the station, he purchased two tickets to Sector Two. The trains that ran above the plates connecting the sectors were nice, clean, and new. The seats were cushioned and covered in soft fabrics, and there were enough to seat everyone that might want to ride. The nice atmosphere made Cloud uncomfortable. He'd rather stand than get disciplined for sitting in a seat that was reserved for the people who were supposed to be above the plate. Unfortunately, there was no standing room, despite the fact that it only took the train an hour to go full circle around the city, and the trip that they were going on was only about eight minutes.

Zack didn't try to stir up any conversation on the short train ride, leaving the blond to stare around the train in awe. He could obviously tell the boy wasn't used to the luxury of it. When the train pulled into the Sector Two station, he shook Cloud's shoulder and stood, exiting when he was sure the grunt was behind him. The bar and grill he'd chosen was about two blocks from the station, making it a rather convenient place for Zack to slip into when he was tired of the crap at ShinRa. He pushed open the doors to the place, holding it open behind him long enough for Cloud to go grab it before continuing. The customary greeter stood a few feet in, but the smile on the man's face seemed to falter when he saw the infantryman behind Zack.

"Welcome," the man said, forcing the smile to stay in place. "May I see your IDs, please?" Zack knew that the formality had to have been a result of Cloud accompanying him. Zack came to the bar and grill quite often and the staff knew him well. Nevertheless though, Zack pulled out his ID and showed the man. Cloud did the same, though more hesitantly. The man greeter's smile disappeared from his face, a troubled look replacing it.

"I'm sorry, but we don't serve people of your Class in this facility," the man said, straightening himself out. Zack frowned. He promised the kid he would be served and he would make sure he would be.

"I don't really see the problem," Zack spoke calmly. "He's Class C, isn't he? I thought you served that class here."

"While we serve Classes C1 and C2, we do not make any exceptions for anything lower. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask him to leave," the greeter said, speaking directly to Zack. The older teen could feel his eyebrows knotting together in disapproval. He turned to Cloud and snatched the boy's ID from his hands and examined it. Private Cloud Strife, Class C4. Zack felt his jaw dropping. How the hell was Cloud only a C4?

"I told you this wasn't a good idea," Cloud murmured, looking down at his feet in submission to the greeter. Zack's lips flapped for a few moments trying to figure out what to say to Cloud. He'd at least have expected Cloud to be promoted to C2 from C3 upon official entry into the ShinRa Guard. He hadn't expected at all for him to be C4 and that good of a fighter. Cloud could hold his own just as well as any other fighter of a higher class, at least in the Guard. Finally Zack turned back to the greeter.

"So he can't even come inside? Not even to watch me eat?" Zack asked, catching Cloud flinch in the corner of his eye.

"I'm sorry, but policy is policy," the greeter said. Zack growled.

"Fine. Then get me two fucking truffamuffins to go, it's the only reason I come here anyway," Zack spat. He knew his eyes were glowing in anger since the greeter jumped and hurried to the bar to place the order. He returned a few moments later with a bag in his hands.

"Your truffamuffins, sir," the greeter stuttered, handing it over. Zack shoved some gil at the man and turned on his heel, exiting the bar and grill.

"I think we should return to ShinRa, Zack," Cloud said timidly. Zack just turned to the younger teen with a scowl.

"Fuck no. Now that I've got you out here, we're going to get something damn good to eat. Come on, we're gonna go to the slums. I know a great place in Sector Five." Cloud held in a groan as he was once again led to the station, this time to one for the crappy ass trains that lead to the slums. These trains were dirty inside and mostly standing room only, with grungy ceiling hand bars and poles. Though he felt more comfortable on these trains than the ones that operated solely above the plate, he was still uncomfortable around Zack. At the end of the twenty-five minute ride, Zack tugged Cloud out and into the masses of bedraggled poor folk. He felt ill at ease returning to the slums in his uniform. The last time he'd been under the plate, he'd been kidnapped—and that was without his uniform at that.

The new restaurant that Zack was heading towards was anything but clean looking—the windows were smeared and grime covered, the sign was rotting and falling off, and the door looked as if it were rusting off its hinges. Zack pushed the door open (to Cloud's surprise, it didn't fall off) and plopped down at a random table. Cloud sat down more wearily, not trusting the chair to hold under his weight. No one asked to see their IDs under the plate. Class wasn't as big a factor when determining patronage, simply because if you were low enough, you wouldn't have enough freedom to leave your whorehouse to go to a restaurant. There was a single paper menu on the table, but Zack snatched it up before Cloud could even look at it. When the waitress came a few minutes later, Zack placed the full order.

"Alright deary, two beers and two club sandwich combos coming up," the cute lady tittered, winking at Zack before walking off.

"Isn't she a sweetie?" Zack asked, staring after the girl.

"Uh, yeah," Cloud agreed disinterestedly. He hadn't been looking at anyone in a remotely sexual sense in seven months. He just couldn't—his brain just didn't compute that feeling anymore. "So why do you even know about this place?" he asked, trying to get the subject off the girl and to something he might be able to actually talk about.

"Well that's a funny story, my friend," Zack said, beginning to chuckle. "You see, I was on a mission on the plate in Sector Five maybe a year ago, and I kinda fell through a grate and crash landed into this old church. There was a girl there that I became friends with and she's shown me around the slums. I still come visit her every once in a while," Zack explained. Cloud looked at him doubtfully. He fell through a grate? Well, if Zack hit his head often enough, then that explained the older teen's eccentricities.

"I see…" Cloud said, not exactly knowing how to properly respond to it. The food arrived and both teens quieted as they began eating. Zack was quick to start on his large mug of beer, but Cloud didn't bother touching his.

"Hey why aren't you drinking? This is a celebration," Zack asked when he noticed the untouched mug. Cloud looked up at him seriously.

"I don't want to chance failing a surprise drug test," he answered flatly. Zack nodded slowly, remembering that things were very different for the grunts. Even though he himself could get away with drinking because of his class and rank, Cloud couldn't for the same reasons.

"That sucks," Zack said quietly. He returned to his food, watching Cloud. The sight of the food passing the boy's lips was incredibly sexy. He absentmindedly wondered how well the blond was at blow jobs. When the food was finished, Zack pulled the truffamuffin bag open and handed Cloud a large, golden brown, dark speckled muffin. The younger teen examined it for a minute before taking a hesitant bite. Upon chewing and swallowing, he seemed to approve of the taste and took a larger bite. Zack grinned and started on his truffamuffin, savoring the wonderful flavors.

"So, uh, what's your obsession with these things stem from?" Cloud asked timidly.

"Well, truffamuffins are a Gongaga delicacy. Every time I eat one it's like I'm eating a little bit of home," Zack answered.

"Is everything from Gongaga named strangely?" Cloud asked, a bit of teasing in his voice. Zack laughed.

"No, not everything. I mean, look at me. I'm named normally."

"That's not what I meant."

"Yeah, yeah. The reason they're called truffamuffins is because Gongaga has this weird tribe of peaceful goblins nearby that go out and pick berries that they named truffaluffin berries and they collect ogula nuts. They started baking them into muffins and the people in Gongaga traded for them until they figured out the recipe. Then they just started gathering the ingredients themselves to make it. In Gongaga it's customary to give truffamuffins to your sweetheart instead of chocolate."

"Why?" Cloud asked, genuinely curious.

"It's not like we're short of chocolates in this day and age but, it's mostly because truffaluffin berries are a very potent aphrodesiac," Zack said grinning. Cloud choked at the statement. He looked down at his truffamuffin, realizing that there was only one bite left, then up at Zack's grinning face. He felt like he was going to be sick. He'd heard the rumors about Zack being a horny bitch in heat all the time, how he'd done just about everyone in ShinRa and just did not want to believe them at the time. He felt that there might be some truth in the rumors now, after that stunt.

"I don't feel so good suddenly," Cloud said, putting down his truffamuffin. Zack's grin faltered as he leaned forward to touch the blond's forehead; however, Cloud jerked back, not allowing him to make the contact.

"I think we should head back then," Zack suggested, standing up. He shoved the rest of cloud's muffin into his mouth, not wanting the thing to go to waste, and headed for the register to pay for the meal. Cloud waited by the door, his arms wrapped around himself protectively. The walk back to the train station was fast, leaving Cloud with a little more sense of safety when he was on the train. He cursed when he felt the berries beginning to take affect five minutes into the ride. His body was becoming unbearably hot and his dick was hardening. He did not want to be feeling that. Damn Zack, damn him to hell for keeping it from him.

When the SOLDIER noticed Cloud's bodily reaction, he grinned to himself. It was going as planned, though he wasn't exactly happy that Cloud hadn't partaken in the mind easing alcohol. Sure, it was a bit cruel, but Cloud was tempting and delicious. He had thought of the blond several times while in Costa Del Sol and wasn't going to pass up the chance at gaining some pleasure from the boy. He figured that there wouldn't be much protest, considering the way most grunts looked to him. Any grunt would fall to his feet in blind worship if he offered sex to them, after all.

Zack could feel the berries beginning to affect him, though a great deal less than it was affecting Cloud since there was mako pumping through his blood. He leaned closer to Cloud, wrapping his hand around the boy's waist from behind. Cloud stiffened but Zack ignored it, pressing his quickly hardening cock onto the boy's ass as he snaked his hand farther down to grab Cloud's own hard member. The blond whimpered, attempting to pull away. Zack only pressed the younger teen into the wall of the train, beginning to rub his hand over the clothed erection.

"Stop," Cloud began whimpering, distressed. "Please, stop." Zack ignored him, slipping his other hand around the boy and unbuckling Cloud's belt and unfastening his pants.

"Shhh. Look, don't worry, I'll make this feel good. You'll like it, I promise," Zack cooed into Cloud's ear. Cloud began struggling slightly as Zack's hand slipped beneath Cloud's underwear and wrapped around his arousal. The blond could feel tears prick at the corner of his eyes. He hated this. Why? Why did he always get picked for this kind of thing?

"I've never felt like that," Cloud finally said, his voice quivering in fear and loathing. Zack misinterpreted the words, however.

"Then I'll help you to feel it. This'll feel good, ok?" Cloud shook his head and whimpered again as Zack began to stroke Cloud faster. Just a few moments before they reached the station, Cloud came, hating himself for it. He pushed Zack away with all his strength, quickly fixed his pants and ran as soon as the doors opened. Zack was too stunned to follow after the younger teen. He could only muse about making Sephiroth start an order for a Class promotion from B1 to A4, then he could mess with the kid without complaint from anyone.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Tseng moaned, gripping Reno's hair tighter as he thrust into the redhead's mouth, shuddering. Reno tried to fight the tug and pull back but found himself gagging slightly as hot liquid hit his throat. He regained his composure and began moving again to help milk the Wutanese completely dry. After a few moments Tseng pushed Reno's head back, signaling for the teen to remove himself and get up. Reno swallowed what he could before letting Tseng's softening cock slip out of his mouth, then swallowed the rest. The teen gently wiped around his mouth, making sure nothing had spilt. Nothing was worse than cum face, especially when there was an upcoming briefing.

Rude just so happened to choose that very moment to enter Tseng's office—walking in on the horrifying sight of his partner wiping his face off and boss tucking his dick back into his pants. A small shocked noise scraped out of his throat at the sight, causing the two other men to snap their attention to Rude. A slight blush tinted Tseng's cheeks at being caught, but the man quickly reigned in his emotions and continued fixing his pants. Reno was completely unaffected by the intrusion and simply stood, his erection hard enough to be visible to the critical eye.

"What do you want?" Tseng questioned upon finishing with his pants.

"Strife has gone missing," Rude said simply, shifting in unease.

"What? Why didn't I hear of this first?" Reno asked skeptically.

"You weren't at your desk when his sergeant came by."

"Oh, right," Reno said, hitting himself on the head. "Where and when was he last seen?"

"He was last seen serving out his punishment in the weapon's storage room. He was reported twenty minutes ago."

"Fuck yo," Reno said. "I"ll look for him tomorrow. We've got a briefing to go to."

"Grunts can't come before missions," Tseng agreed quietly. "In fact we should head to the conference room now." The leader of the Turks lead the way out of his office. The other two fell in line behind him, but Reno couldn't help but wonder just what Cloud had gotten himself into this time.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud slinked back into the ShinRa building, heading immediately for the inner stairwell. No one was training, or least they shouldn't have been since most people that were sent to Junon were given a day off and all the others that had stayed back were in the city on patrol. This left Cloud in a rather odd position. He was sent to Junon by accident and his commanding officers did not like that fact. Before Zack had burst in the room to drag him off, Cloud had been hard at work cleaning and organizing the entire weapons room. Grunt work of the most annoying kind, but at least it wasn't latrine duty.

The blond reached his floor with little difficulty. As he suspected, no one was out and about in the lowest floors. He passed the gym and weight rooms, which only contained officers since most of the lower ranks were in town. Cloud carefully pushed open the weapons room door and settled him back where he had been before Zack, picking up the cleaning rag and the gun he'd been working on. Cleaning an arsenal of a few thousand guns was slow, tedious and, above all, mundane. He had a gut feeling that he would be at this punishment for the remainder of the month.

In all honesty, he could still feel the berry induced heat coursing through him. His cheeks were flaming, and he was holding tears back. Zack… Zack had targeted him like the boys from before. Was that all he was really good for? All he was seen as? Zack had handled it differently than the asses he'd had sent away, at least. At least it wasn't in front of five dozen other people that just stood around and did nothing—then again, getting forcibly jerked off against a train window wasn't much better. He was just lucky that no one was on the train. Hopefully Zack wouldn't pursue him in the weapons room again. His stomach dropped just thinking about it. He would undoubtedly be stuck there for a long time, and Zack knew where to find him.

After an hour the storeroom door was roughly shoved open, revealing Cloud's sergeant. The teen stiffened as the man laid his eyes on Cloud. The gaze was hash, full of anger and disappointment. Cloud carefully placed the rifle he had just finished down, rising to his feet and saluting.

"Private, where the hell did you run off to?" the Sergeant snapped.

"SOLDIER First Class Fair came in and dragged me out, Sir," Cloud said timidly, but he managed to press some force into his words.

"Like hell he did. Now tell the truth."

"I am, Sir. He came in here and dragged me out onto the plate to have lunch with me. After he couldn't get me in, he took me to the slums. I came back immediately after, Sir," Cloud explained.

"Right," the older man said disbelievingly. "And I suppose you expect me to believe that?"

"I do, Sir. Go ask him if you doubt me… I-I'm sure he'll be willing to vouch for it," Cloud stuttered. He was saving his own ass from the Sergeant, but was practically giving it away to Zack.

"I will," the Sergeant said thoughtfully. "Until then get your ass back to work. You don't get a dinner break since you skipped out during lunch." Cloud sighed, sitting back down and picking up the cleaning supplies.

As the two hours passed, the blond struggled to keep his mind off the images and feeling flashing to life in his mind. His hands were shaking and he was starting to hyperventilate. He had thought he was past all of this, past the mental pain of that torture—but apparently not. He could only hope that Zack would lose interest after being rejected as such on the train and that everything would return to normal. Then he could just bury those horrid memories in the back of his mind and forget about it.

The doors suddenly opened again, this time with much more important people on the other side. The Three Star General and the General of the Armies Sephiroth stepped through the doors, looking around the room as they talked.

"These guns are complete crap, but they'll be more than adequate with your abilities," the Three Star General stated, motioning at the arsenal in a sweeping movement. Sephiroth nodded. Cloud hunched back into the darkened part of the room, hoping the two Generals didn't see him. However, both Sephiroth and the Three Star General's eyes fell on him after a few moments. "You, uh, Private, which guns are the clean ones?" Cloud straightened upon being addressed. He quickly rose to his feet and scurried to a pile of the new guns, freshly cleaned an hour prior.

"These are the best in here, Sir," he said, picking up two. His voice was still slightly shaky, but he hoped they would pass it off as Cloud just being nervous. "We just got them in about two months ago. Only been used three times." He quickly passed the weapons off. Sephiroth's hand touched his and lingered for a moment. Cloud's heart skipped and his stomach dropped. He flinched, jerking his hand back slightly before regaining his composure.

"Good, these should do fine then," the General of the Armies said, examining the weapon. His reptilian eyes stole glances at the nervous blond from time to time, but he did nothing to intimidate him farther.

"Thank you, Private," The three Star General said, looking up. He paused, examining Cloud more closely. "Have you been crying, Private? How unbecoming. If you want to make it in the military, you need to suck it up and be a man. Emotions like that won't do you any good."

"I'm sorry, Sir. I'll pull myself together," Cloud said, snapping into a salute. The General seemed satisfied with the answer and nodded, turning back to Sephiroth.

"Shall we be on our way then, Sir?" the Three Star General asked.

"Yes. Let's not waste another minute. I have an itch to pull the trigger," Sephiroth said, turning away. The two walked out of the storage room, closing the door behind them. Cloud felt himself sigh in relief at the disappearance of the two. He slowly moved back to his spot, once again sliding back to his work.

He had just encountered two people that should have been impossible to see at his rank. The Three Star General was the highest ranking officer in the ShinRa Regulatory Army. He was the man that controlled everything about the men, at least on the domestic level. Sephiroth, the General of the Armies and General of SOLDIER controlled widespread foreign movements among both factions. He was the military genius behind Wutai. Cloud had seen Sephiroth many times simply because of their shared psychiatrist. The helicopter had been a mere coincidence, and so had this last meeting. However, the way the man's eyes kept glancing towards him sent an uncomfortable shiver down his spine.

Thirty minutes after the generals left, the door opened again, this time his sergeant. Cloud sucked in some air, nervous about the outcome of this meeting. He could see the tray of slop that the man carried in his arms, but wasn't sure if it was for him or to tease him. The Sergeant moved towards him slowly.

"Your story checks out, kid. Here's some dinner. I asked Fair not to bug you here anymore, since you're serving out a punishment. Don't expect to have anymore adventures soon," The Sergeant said, handing Cloud the tray.

"Thank you, Sir," Cloud said, putting his cleaning utensils down and taking the tray. The food looked as unappetizing as ever.

"Report back to your barracks at nineteen hundred and back here at o' seven hundred. You've got six more days of this, Private." The Sergeant turned on his heel and exited storage room. Cloud sighed, spooning the glop they called food into his mouth. It definitely wasn't as satisfying as the sandwich he'd had for lunch, but at least there wasn't a truffamuffin to go along with this meal. Cloud was still feeling it and disliked it greatly. Truffaluffin berries were truly a potent aphrodisiac.

Cloud returned to the daunting work, stopping just a few minutes before seven o'clock like he was instructed. He cleaned his tools and placed them back in the cleaning supplies cabinet before exiting the storage room with the dinner tray. He would have to run the tray to the mess hall before returning to his room. Cloud stopped in his tracks when he saw Sephiroth headed down the hall towards the weapons storage room, two rifles in hand.

"Ah, I see you're still here, Private," Sephiroth said when he was within a few feet. "Can you show me where these belong?" There was a glint of something Cloud didn't like in the man's eyes, but he didn't dare defy Sephiroth. Cloud nodded, turning around swiftly to reopen the weapons room. He offered to take the weapons from the General but the silveret just passed the young blond, entering into the dark storage room. Cloud slipped past the General, inspecting the different crates and piles for the model gun before stopping.

"It's this pile, Sir," Cloud said, saluting.

"Now, now. No need to be formal, Strife. As of five minutes ago, we are both off duty," Sephiroth said casually, placing the guns in their rightful pile.

"That still doesn't excuse me from Differential Classification mannerism, Sir," Cloud said, looking away. He could not believe the absurdity of the situation. Privates and Generals were not supposed to interact directly with each other.

"I suppose you are right," Sephiroth said, straightening. "Though I do find the whole system overrated at times. It's not like you are living a diminished life style simply because your class is different. The options of your entertainment are just simply different." Cloud bit his tongue. He could say a few things about diminished life styles. He certainly had lived one before and after coming to ShinRa.

"Sir, the lower classes are more brutal than most believe," Cloud settled on, saying something, but not complete defiance. Sephiroth chuckled.

"Really?" he said, his voice holding a trace of amusement. "Is that why you were crying earlier?" the General asked, turning towards Cloud.

"No, Sir, it's not," Cloud said, growing more uneasy. "I was harassed by a far superior officer." He generalized the statement, but it still covered the general basis of what had happened.

"I see. Are you in need of some comfort?"

"No, Sir, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I could most likely be of assistance in a situation as thus."

"Sir, why are you suggesting something like this to a grunt lik—" Cloud was cut off as the older grabbed Cloud's head with lightning seed, pulling it close and pressing cold lips against the teen's. Cloud felt himself panic, freeze, shiver. He was scared and didn't know how to react, then his flight responses kicked in. He pushed back against Sephiroth but found it useless. The man was too strong. The General gripped Cloud's arms painfully tight. He felt as if his bones would snap any moment. When Sephiroth pulled back, he stared into Cloud's eyes.

"On your knees, Private," he commanded with all seriousness. He released Cloud's arms and began to undo his pants. Cloud shuddered, terrified. There was no saving him from this man. Sephiroth was above the law. He had no choice.

He dropped to his knees.


	12. Chapter 12

Reno banged on the door to Cloud's room. It was ten AM and the teen still hadn't shown up for his duties. Cloud's sergeant had reported Cloud missing again just a few minutes earlier, stating that the blond had looked fine when he'd left him dinner. Reno had tracked down the boy's roommates and questioned them, but he only found out that Cloud had been in the room when they left and had not reacted to their prodding. Reno was beginning to worry. He'd been banging on the door for a few minutes straight, and really didn't want to walk in on another suicide attempt. The redhead steeled his mind and opened the door, preparing for the worst.

The room was dark, the only light stemming from the open door. There was a lump on Cloud's bed, huddled into a ball and wrapped tightly with the blanket. Not even the boy's head was visible. Reno entered the room cautiously. As he neared the Private's bed he could make out the boy's trembling and shaking.

"Cloud?" Reno called softly, reaching a hand out gently. Cloud flinched, scurrying—clawing—to the corner of his bed closest to the wall.

"Go away!" Cloud practically screamed. His face was just barely visible from where the sheet and blanket slipped when he moved. Reno knew that look. It was just like the reaction he'd received just after making fun of the blond the first time they met, only this gaze was a hundred times more frightened. It was obvious the boy had been crying at some point, though he would not bring it up. "I want to be alone. Just leave me alone!" That time Cloud did scream, backing against the wall.

"Cloud, it's ok, I won't do anything to you, I'm here to help," Reno said, taking another step forward. His hands were raised to his hips, in clear view.

"No! Get back! Don't come near me!" Reno stayed still, refusing to lose what little ground he'd gained.

"Come on, Cloud. This isn't like you. Where's the strong silent guy I know? This is really unbecoming, yo," Reno said, trying to calm the blond down. He inched forward, trying to get a little closer.

"You'll hurt me, just like them. I thought I could trust them, but I can't! I can't trust you! Get away!" Cloud rambled, getting louder at each passing word.

"Cloud, of course you can trust me. You're like a bro to me, yo. I'm like your big bro. I'm here to look out for you," Reno eased. He shifted direction slightly, now inching towards the foot of the bed.

"How do I know that? How do I know you just aren't an insensitive fuck just like everyone else in the upper classes?" Reno flinched at the insult. Cloud had a definite point there. Reno usually was one of those insensitive fucks. He sighed, looking at Cloud in the eye.

"Look, Cloud, I helped you put the last set of asses away. I'll help you any way I can. Ok? I'm your friend. I saved you when you got kidnapped and when you tried to commit suicide. I'm looking out for you, yo."

"Bullshit," Cloud cried, his voice cracking. "You're just keeping me around and trying to gain my trust until you can make your move and fuck me. You're like everyone else."

"Cloud, I don't think I can get hard for you even if I try. Not after knowing what all this shit's done to you. Seeing you like this makes me mad at the bastard who did this to you. I wanna bash their face in, yo."

"Even if you wanted to help, there's nothing you can do. I'm fucked, and no one can stop it. I'm doomed to being a fucking whore," Cloud murmured, his voice tremoring. The teen slowly stiffened and his eyes grew distant.

"Cloud, what happened? Come on, you can trust me. I'll make them stop. I want to help you." Reno finally reached the bed. Slowly he crawled onto it and stayed still, not attempting to reach for the blond.

"T-two SOLDIERS," Cloud whispered. "Separately. But, I'm fucked, aren't I? I mean I'm practically fair game if they're SOLDIER. Should I give it up? Maybe everything else will go away if I become the SOLDIER bitch."

"Cloud, don't you fucking dare start thinking like that. You are nobody's bitch, yo. If you just submit and service them, you're just going to crack further and then nothing can save you. You'll screw yourself over. They'll demote you and you'll get kicked out of the army. They'll fucking sell you to a whore house and then it won't be big, strong, good looking men fucking your life up. It'll be the fat pricks like Palmer and Don Corneo. If you keep your head up and pull through this, you'll make it. You'll advance up the ladder. And then you can persecute the fuck out of the bastards," Reno snapped. Cloud's eyes snapped back to reality, scared from getting yelled at. Reno took a few breaths to calm himself. It would do absolutely no good to upset Cloud further.

"If I hold my head high, I can make it stop?" Cloud asked, timidly. "How? There's only so much I can take before I break."

"Cloud, you were doing wonderful until this last incident. You can move past this. Now, can you tell me who? Do you know the names of the guys?" Reno soothed, attempting to get the blond to give him more information. Cloud looked at the redhead with widened eyes, and simply shook his head.

"I-I," he stuttered. Reno quickly shushed him.

"It's alright. You don't have to talk right now. Look, you just take it easy for the day, calm down. Try to get back to normal by tomorrow or the higher ups will become suspicious, and that won't be good. I'll go out and scout around the SOLDIER floor and try to find out who it was," Reno said. He stood, biting his lip. He really did not want to leave Cloud alone in that state, but he had to go out and find the asses before they attempted something again. Cloud barely moved as Reno left, shutting the door behind him.

Reno stalked down the hall and into the stairwell where he climbed three flights to the floor that connected the army housing to the main ShinRa building. He crossed the single bridge and entered the twelfth floor; the elevators were visible from where the bridge ended. Reno pulled his ID card from his pocket and entered an elevator. After swiping his card he pressed the button for the forty-ninth floor and waited patiently. When the doors opened he heard a few hardy welcomes from the SOLDIERs milling around. The redhead smirked. It was time to do what he did best—sex gossip.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"I just do not understand," Sephiroth said, throwing down the file he was reading. Zack looked up from the file cabinet he'd been rummaging through.

"What don't you get?" Zack questioned, leaning back to get a better vision of Sephiroth's face.

"People," Sephiroth grunted, raising a hand to rub his temple.

"People? You get along with them well enough from what I can see. What's got you baffled? Something in that report?" Zack began scooting backwards across the floor so he would be within the General's line of sight.

"It's not the report. It's… It's that blond boy that goes to the same psychiatrist. I finally was able to track him down and met with him," Sephiroth explained, his brows knitting together slightly.

"You finally moved in? So you talked? How did it go?" Zack began shooting off, excited.

"It did not go as planned. He was acting strange."

"Strange? As in how?"

"I suppose I did instigate actions that were probably unnecessary. I advanced on him sexually, but he… balked. He was shaking and sweating. I could smell his fear. I could hear his heart beating and his breath was getting faster. He was not at all even aroused. When he reached out to touch me as directed, his movements were slow and scared."

"Did you have him go through with it?" Zack asked, frowning.

"No. I dismissed him shortly after I realized that he was unwillingly participating. I have never been rejected before. It is a bit of a shock, to say the least. However, he was not acting like most do when they reject another."

"Something must've happened to him to make him so antsy. Do you know his name? Maybe you should go and talk to him?" Zack offered.

"Yes, I found out while you were in Costa Del Sol. Cloud Strife."

"C-cloud?" Zack stuttered, his jaw dropping. "No fucking way."

"What?" Sephiroth asked, puzzled, turning to look at the teen sitting on his floor.

"I know him," Zack said, biting his bottom lip. "Shit, I think I might have done that to him. I feel like an ass now."

"Zackary, what did you do?"

"Uh, I took him to lunch and gave him a truffamuffin? And then, uh, got him off in the train? He ran away, so I thought I just mighta startled him and that I could work it out later, but fuck. I didn't think I scared him that bad."

"Zackary," Sephiroth growled.

"Hey, I'm sorry! I'll go and talk to him. He's still green here in ShinRa, right? So he's probably not completely used to the large amount of male on male action. I mean, sure you and I are probably some of the more extreme people out there, but I'm sure that he's gonna encounter shit like this in the future. The least we can do is teach him and like… protect him from the bigger asses. Kinda like how I… was trained…" Zack trailed off at the end of his little ramble, remembering Angeal.

"You were a different case, Zack," Sephiroth said, turning forward and staring at the wall. "Yes, Angeal likes to protect and mother, but… We knew you would be strong enough to handle yourself in the event that you did encounter something sexual. Angeal often commented on your naturally erotic mannerisms. You've always been sexually charged—Angeal just harnessed it into something that could be controlled."

"But things went wrong…" Zack said quietly.

"Yes." A few moments passed in silence.

"Cloud has a beautiful smile," Zack said, turning to look at Sephiroth's office door.

"You've seen it?"

"Yeah. A couple times. When I went to Modeoheim, Cloud was with me. We smiled and joked. I didn't know that grunts were so capable. And you say he's going to your psychiatrist? What the hell is going on with him? I could never imagine a sweet thing like Cloud having issues that bad."

"I do not know why ShinRa is insisting that he attend these sessions. But they must have a good reason."

"I want to protect him, you know? I'll teach him what it's like to get fucked tenderly and protect him from anyone that tries to get close to him."

"Are you declaring war?" Sephiroth asked, his voice flat.

"Uh, what? Oh, shit no. It's not like I can stop you. Maybe you should just, uh, sit back for a while? I'll sort it out."

"Do not steal him from under my nose, Fair."

"Certainly not. We can share him. I mean, the protection of Zack Fair and the General of SOLDIER should be more than welcome." Sephiroth only hummed to Zack's statement, thinking it over. After a few moments he turned to look at the teen.

"Just do not continue to be an idiot. Please talk to him on both of our parts. I would go myself, but the only reason I ran into him yesterday was because I had a meeting with the General of the Guard in which we visited the shooting gallery. Today I have no chance to leave the office."

"Right. I'll go track him down," Zack said, nodding.

"Now, please desist from rummaging through my files and go get your own work done, Zack. You're a distraction."

"A pleasant distraction," grinned Zack. Sephiroth only gave him a harsh stare, causing Zack to jump to his feet. "Right, distraction. Got it. I'll go then. I gotta train the little whelps soon anyway," Zack said, rubbing the back of his head. He did have his responsibility as a mentor and teacher after all. After the brat's training was over, he'd look for Cloud.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud was feeling considerably calmer by the next day. He'd managed to get through breakfast without incident and had moved back to the weapons storeroom to resume his punishment. Fearing a repeat of the previous day, Cloud had his defenses raised. He would be cold and mildly defiant to anyone that entered the room. He was ready to fight if he had to, even if the other person would most likely overpower him.

He set his mind to working on the guns, blocking out the rest of the world. Lunch came and went peacefully. He didn't have the stomach to eat anything, thus he worked through the meal; he had only eaten breakfast because his roommates were concerned for him. He would choke down something for dinner as well, just to appease his roommates and Reno, but he carried no real interest in food.

Mid afternoon a squad returned from a mission, dropping their firearms off before leaving. Cloud was apprehensive, but tried his best to keep cool. He found that his productivity was greater than the previous work day, but assumed that it was only because he didn't have to deal with truffaluffin berries. Almost a third of the guns were finished, leaving Cloud feeling somewhat accomplished. At least in the event that he needed to assemble his gun fast, he would be the best in the squad.

Close to five in the afternoon the door to the storeroom opened. Cloud felt himself seize up, gripping the gun in his hands close to his chest. Zack Fair stepped through the door cautiously, slowly closing it behind him. Cloud could feel his heart rate rising, his flight mechanisms beginning to kick in; however, there was no place to run. Zack would find him eventually.

"Uh, Cloud, take it easy, I'm not going to hurt you," Zack said, raising his hands into the air.

"Didn't my sergeant ask you not to come here? I'm serving a punishment," he spoke bitterly, a waft of fear in his voice.

"I'm not here to distract you or anything. I'm just here to apologize," Zack explained, not moving any further into the room. Cloud just continued to glare at Zack. "What I did yesterday… It was stupid of me to do that, ok? I'm sorry. I didn't think that you might not be ready for that kind of thing yet." Cloud stopped breathing. Did Zack know about what had happened to him seven months before? Of the trial that happened four months before? If Zack knew, who else did?

"I don't ever want to think about that stuff again," Cloud said, panic tinting his voice.

"You're in ShinRa now, you just can't ignore this stuff. I mean, I know you come from a really out there rural place, heck I do too. I know what people think like out there. But really. This is ShinRa. Most sex that takes place in this building is between men." Cloud face relaxed slightly as he realized that Zack was talking about something completely different. So maybe the older teen didn't know. "You're inexperienced, and I get that too. Like I hadn't gotten anything before coming here, but… Look, I guess I'm just trying to say that… I'm sorry about yesterday, but you need to get used to men touching you."

"I have no interest in men touching me. If I have to become stronger to fight them all off, then I will," Cloud replied, diverting his eyes for a moment.

"But didn't you feel good yesterday?" Zack asked, taking a step forward.

"You drugged me. I hated that I came like that to a touch I didn't want. I would not have been like that if I hadn't had those stupid berries!" Cloud snapped.

"Look, I can teach you to feel good with a guy. I mean, sure girls are good, but guys are good too. I'm experienced at this stuff, and good looking and gentle. If you're gonna learn with anyone, it might as well be me. And judging from how you've acted, you've got to be a virgin."

"Shut up!" Cloud yelled, shifting away from the ravenet. Oh how far off could Zack get? The most painful thing to Cloud was that he was no longer a virgin. There would be no erasing those memories, no making anyone understand why he flinched away or avoided intimate relations, especially in ShinRa.

"Look, you can't stay one forever! Eventually you're gonna wanna do it. You've got to get experience with someone that won't judge."

"You've already judged me," Cloud said, taking a deep breath and puffing his chest up some.

"I'm just trying to help you! If it gets out that you're one of my fixed partners, people will leave you alone."

"You don't know anything. You're just like all the other upperclass," Cloud spat. Zack's jaw dropped, completely at a loss for words. "I obviously don't want your help, so just go. I need to get back to work before I'm caught talking to you."

"I'll convince you somehow, just give me a chance to prove that I'm a good guy," Zack said, turning to leave. Cloud kept his mouth shut and didn't move until he was sure Zack was out of the room. Rigidly, he began cleaning the gun in his hands.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"You are some kinda prick, aren't ya?" Zack heard before getting slammed against the wall. He flinched, recognizing the voice.

"What the fuck, Reno?" Zack exclaimed, pushing himself off the wall. Reno shoved him back into place, this time holding him there, making sure his face was pressed hard against the wall as he ghosted his hand over Zack's pressure points.

"So you're the one that fucked with Cloud yesterday? What gives, yo? I thought that SOLDIER boys would be more than enough for you. I mean there are over a fuckin' thousand, yo. Do you enjoy fuckin' grunts? You should go fuck the whores in the slums then, 'cause you sure as hell aren't gonna score a good ride from that blond babe," Reno snarled into Zack's ear.

"You were listening?" Zack asked, somewhat horrified.

"It's my job," Reno hissed.

"No fucking way! What the hell are you doing watching a grunt like him?" Zack asked, beginning to struggle. He did not want to be the one pushed against the wall. Reno kneed him in the thigh and gripped the pressure point in Zack's shoulder just hard enough to make his legs go weak and his head spin.

"Remember when I complained about making a dick of myself in front of a completely hot piece of ass of a target?"

"Shit, that was Cloud?" Reno gripped Zack's shoulders tightly and spun him around so his back was to the wall.

"Yeah. And I'm still in charge of him."

"Why the hell does he even have Turks guarding him?" Zack asked. "He's a grunt! Shouldn't you guys be doing more important things?"

"You don't want to know, trust me," Reno said darkly. "Just fuck off and don't talk to him again."

"I'm just trying to help him!"

"Zack, I let him come into your life, and if you keep being an ass I'll have to take him out of it too."

"What?"

"I was the one that convinced Tseng to take him on the mission to Modeoheim," Reno spat. "It was a mistake to think that I could trust you with him."

"You can! I'm trying to help him! If he sticks with me he'll get stronger! People will leave him alone! I'll get him used to sex between guys, teach him it's alright!" Reno's glare grew exceedingly dark as Zack spoke. He was scared—actually scared of Reno. He'd never thought the guy could lash out like he was. Reno suddenly smirked bitterly and leaned in close to Zack's ear.

"I'm sorry to say, but Cloud's damaged goods."

"Damaged goods?" Zack asked slowly, not understanding what the redhead meant.

"You want to protect him from the wandering hands of this place? It's too late. You aren't the first person to touch him. All you're doing is screwing him up worse. Keep this up and he'll probably never want sex again," Reno snarled.

"I just want to protect him!"

"Do you know what that will do to him?" Reno asked, shaking Zack so that his head hit the wall. "It'll make things worse for him, yo. People hear he's sleeping with you and they'll label him a whore too. They'll start thinking it's ok to fuck him. And not only that, but the people that regulate the Class Promotions and Demotions would eventually hear of it. He'd be demoted. No one ever climbs up by whoring themselves out."

"I…" Zack tried to wrap his head around it.

"You what? Thought it'd really help? You've never really lived among the common folk, have you? Upper class don't care about the lower class for a reason. Because they don't understand their plights. When they do have enough balls they screw it all up for both the grunt and themselves."

"You're an upper class too," Zack spat. "Higher than me."

"I spent two years in the slums before joining up with ShinRa. In that time I learned a shitload about the rest. Yeah, I'm one of the asses that doesn't give a damn about the grunts, but Cloud—it's fucking sick what's been done to him. I suggest you just leave him be before you screw yourself over."

"Like you are now?"

"Shut the fuck up," Reno growled, raising his knee into Zack's crotch. The ravenet's eyes bulged as he recoiled the best he could.

"J-just admit that you like him too," Zack stuttered when he regained his breath.

"Yeah, I do. Like a little brother," Reno stated flatly, his frown deep. "I don't think I could get hard for him even if he was going down on me." Zack opened his mouth to retort but was cut short when Reno's fist connected with his temple. Zack's vision went black for a few moments before he recovered and met Reno's eyes again. "Just stay the fuck away from him. This is an order from your superior."

Zack glared but did not argue any further. He moved to shove Reno off him, but the redhead moved fluidly with the attack, stepping back of his own free will. Zack made his escape quickly, heading up to Sephiroth's office; the man would be waiting anxiously to hear how things had gone with Cloud.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Reno slowly opened the door to the storeroom, peeking around the door. He waited until Cloud noticed and recognized him before stepping fully into the room. The kid looked marginally better than he had the previous day, but he supposed there was only so much he could do for the way Cloud was feeling. At least the kid was up and about. Functioning normally was the best sign out there.

"I told Zack off for you," Reno said, not moving much farther into the room. "He'll hopefully lay off."

"Did you tell him?" Cloud asked, his eyes wide in fear.

"Not the details. I just said that you weren't untouched. Hopefully he'll be smart for once and learn to leave the situation alone."

"I don't want this getting around ShinRa."

"None of us do. Look, I'll do my best to keep Zack in line, yo. You just keep your head up," Reno instructed. Cloud nodded and turned back to his gun.

"Thanks," the blond said so quietly that Reno almost didn't catch it. The redhead smiled and turned to exit. He kept his pace slow as he headed up to report to Tseng, wanting to calm himself before facing the older man. Maybe if he was lucky they could finish what they'd started the other day. Tseng wasn't the especially promiscuous type, nor terribly adventuresome when it came to sex, but Reno didn't exactly mind. The Wutaian obviously had a thing for him, and Reno had enough of a thing for Wutanese to reciprocate.

When the redhead pushed open the doors to Tseng's office, he cut himself short of yelling. Two Turks were standing in front of Tseng's desk, obviously in the middle of some kind of briefing. The severed head of what looked to be a Wutaian man rested on a platter on Tseng's desk. Reno eyed the platter and the three Turks carefully.

"Yo. Adle, Luxing. How's it going?" Reno finally said. The two men simply returned their attention to Tseng.

"Reno, learn to knock," Tseng said, giving the younger a glare.

"Soooorry," Reno said, purposefully adding a disrespectful tone. Tseng only closed his eyes for a brief few seconds to clear his mind before turning back to the two men in front of him.

"You two are dismissed," Tseng directed. The two men simply nodded and exited hastily.

"Those two are a match made in heaven. Wouldn't you agree?" Reno said conversationally, looking after the two as they left.

"What makes you say that?" Tseng inquired.

"They're both pricklier than Rude," Reno stated off handed.

"Are you complaining about your partner?"

"What? No. Don't get me wrong. Rude's great. The only other really lively Turks are the chicks, and they're too annoying for me."

"Glad to know," Tseng said, uninterestedly. Reno smirked coyly and stalked towards the older man.

"So, who's this?" Reno said pointing to the severed head on the desk.

"A head of the Wutaian Resistance," Tseng stated flatly.

"Literally and figuratively, I take it."

"It's a need to know basis."

"Right," Reno said, his smirk growing. His hand found Tseng's arm and slowly slid up it. When he reached the man's shoulder he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Tseng's unchanging straight ones. Reno pulled back with a pout. "What, no love?"

"My office is a bit too public to do anything too rash. I don't wish to be caught like last time," Tseng answered simply.

"You need to loosen up some. Find some adventure," Reno complained, wrapping his arms around Tseng's neck. He pressed his lips against Tseng's, this time prodding him until the older man gave in and reciprocated.

"What did you come here for?" Tseng asked when Reno finally pulled back.

"Zack has targeted Cloud as a potential good fuck, so I told him off. I don't know if he'll leave him alone though," Reno said, moving to resume the kiss. Tseng maneuvered so Reno's lips hit his cheek.

"Is that all?"

"Cloud said he was harassed by two separate higher ranking officers. He said he didn't know them, but I think he was just scared. If one was Zack… What do you think the chances are that the other's Sephiroth?"

"I don't know," Tseng said, rather bored. Reno could tell that the man didn't care much for the blond teen.

"I'll keep investigating," Reno said, kissing Tseng again. Tseng fell easily into the kiss this time, letting himself get swept away. Suddenly a third party cleared their throat, causing the two break away. Reno turned towards the door where a platinum blond, blue eyed teen stood in the doorway.

"Rufus, may I help you?" Tseng asked, pulling away from Reno completely and walking around the desk.

"We've got a bit of a family crisis going on. If you don't come quick, some heads might roll," Rufus said, glancing back at Reno before quickly exiting the room.

"So what now, you fucking the brat too?" Reno asked.

"Nothing like that," Tseng assured. Reno could see the silent apology in the man's eyes. The redhead sighed as Tseng followed the President's devil spawn of a kid.


	13. Chapter 13

"Shit. Shut up and stop squirming. We'll get caught. Haven't you ever been on a reconnaissance mission before?" Kunsel whispered harshly. Zack gave the man a wry smile.

"Nope. I'm too hyper, so Angeal never let me go on any of those."

"Uhg, just control yourself. We can't screw this up without calling attention to the higher ups."

"Duh. That's why I asked you to help. But really, how hard can this be? I mean he's out to lunch."

"It doesn't matter. He could come back early, or someone could come back in to deliver some papers. We can get in a lot of shit for this, even if they are just grunt files." Kunsel peeked around the corner before looking back at Zack. "Ok, I'll go and check to see if the door's locked. If it's not, then stand guard while I pick it. And remember to avoid the cameras I pointed out earlier. There aren't many blind spots."

Zack nodded as he watched Kunsel step out. The Second Class SOLDIER was in full uniform, helmet included. Kunsel seemed to prefer wearing his helm at all times, unless doing something dirty. He was the best at stealth in SOLDIER, and very well should have been a Turk, but he claimed that being a voyeur was just a hobby and had no interest in doing it full time.

The Second jiggled the door handle before pulling out a few long thin tools. He inserted one into the lock and three seconds later he had the door open. Zack took it as his signal to follow. He was careful to squeeze into the blind spots, using his speed at other times to not get picked up on the cameras. Once he was safely in the office, he peered around.

"I've got the camera in this room playing on an empty room loop. We've got about five minutes until it goes back to the normal camera," Kunsel said, already opening the desk drawers.

"Why couldn't you do that for the halls too?" Zack asked, heading over to the file cabinets in the back.

"It's a frequently used hallway. It'd be suspicious if people walked through and disappeared off the screens in a specific hallway," Kunsel explained.

"Oh, I see. I guess that's the smart thing to do huh? How do you even manage to do all this shit, anyway?" Zack scanned across the cabinets until he found the correct one, then searched for the drawer labeled S.

"Offices and halls are monitored in separate rooms. I hacked into the systems networking the cameras together a long time ago. Security in this area's extremely lacking as well, so it's easy to break into, too. I get a lot of good porno tapes from the grunt cameras. They have cameras in their showers, locker rooms, and the big bunker rooms, you know?"

Kunsel explained at length. Zack crinkled his nose at the idea of cameras everywhere, thanking Gaia he wasn't one of the grunts.

"They don't watch us like that, do they?" Zack questioned, just to ease his mind.

"No, not really. They watch us training, but not in our rooms or showers."

"Well, that's good," he said. "But I think I'm going to check around my room just in case." Zack took to flipping through the files in his drawer.

"ShinRa's not into making gay porn. The presidents have all been pretty straight-laced womanizers, so you don't have to worry."

"It's your business that I have to worry about," Zack replied teasingly. "How much do you make off that stuff, anyway?"

"Enough," Kunsel answered blandly. "It's not like I get enough to make a lot. Most of the time the camera angles are bad and it turns out as junk. The ones I get from the grunts I sell to the black market. Anything I circulate here is purely voluntary."

"Ah! Found it!" Zack chirped holding up the file he'd been looking for. Kunsel turned to look at him. "We can get the fuck out of here now."

"Before we do that, take a few other files out of some other drawers. We'll throw them off," Kunsel instructed, holding up a stack of files he'd removed from the desk. Zack nodded, opening random drawers and plucking files out. They exited the room, Zack carrying the files, and Kunsel making sure they'd left the room clean of evidence.

"Thanks, man," Zack said once they were in the clear.

"I'm not doing this for free. You owe me a video for this," Kunsel said, turning to look at him.

"Ok. What kinda video?"

"A foursome. I'll get back to you on the details later when I've recruited some others."

"Alright, then I better get back to Sephiroth's," Zack said.

"Hey, before you go, you haven't been sleeping around as much since you got back."

"Ah, yeah, I guess that's true. Just trying to be a little safer, you know? Fifty people was a bit much, and Seph was complaining about my performance," Zack explained.

"In bed?" Kunsel jabbed.

"Uhg! No. In the field. Says I've been too distracted," Zack corrected. Of course he was lying through his teeth about Sephiroth having said anything to him. He wasn't as active because he was still dealing with what had happened. But it wasn't like he'd given up his perverted ways altogether. Once a day was plenty, as far as he was concerned.

"Right. Whatever you say. Here, take my laptop as well. If you break into the records using yours or Sephiroth's, they'll get suspicious. They won't think much if it's me, since I do it all the time," Kunsel said, pushing his precious laptop carrier into Zack's hands. Zack nodded and grasped it firmly.

"Will do. I guess I'll see you later. Call me when you get the foursome worked out," Zack said before darting to the elevators. Zack was itching to get into the file, but he knew better than to do so before letting Sephiroth look at it. The anticipation of getting into it made the two minute ride to Sephiroth's office floor feel like eternity. He rushed out when the doors pinged open, not bothering to give the secretary so much as a glance. He slammed open Sephiroth's office door, his smile wide enough that it hurt.

"Operation: Get Cloud's File complete, sir!" he spouted gleefully, grabbing the door and slamming it behind him. Sephiroth placed down the file he was looking at and looked at Zack expectantly. Zack reached into the stack of files he had tucked under his arm and pulled out Cloud's, placing the rest on the floor. "Kunsel made me take some other files as well to help cover up my motive," he explained when he noticed Sephiroth glancing at the other files.

"I would only assume," Sephiroth said blandly, opening the file. Zack pressed in close to Sephiroth, placing his head on the General's shoulder.

The first page was standard. Name: Cloud Strife. Birth date: August 19. Height: 5'5". Weight: 123 lbs. Eye: Blue. Hair: Blond. Hand: Right. Class: C4. Origin: Nibelheim. DNA: 1276HCC47H44VB6617. ID: 150858KGK3411349. A photo half the size of the page and a full set of finger prints accompanied the basic data.

"He's small compared to his peers," Sephiroth said as he turned to the next page. It was a detailed statistical analysis of his physical capabilities.

"Yeah. I was already 5'9" when I was his age…" Zack agreed off handedly, scanning over the page. Sephiroth turned it again. The third and fourth pages were dedicated solely to breaking down and analyzing desirable and undesirable genetic traits. The fifth page stated Cloud's criminal record. Two hospitalizations for fighting were the only blemishes before joining with ShinRa. The following pages were nothing but write-ups for recent incidents, all within the last four months.

"He gets into an abnormal amount of fights. I wonder if his personality is disagreeable," Sephiroth mused as he slowly flipped through the pages.

"Nah. Cloud's actually pretty friendly. He's prolly just lashing out at their teasing. He doesn't seem like the kinda guy to just sit back and take it, you know?" Sephiroth hummed in compliance as he flipped to the page stating Cloud's psychological records. The basic psychological evaluation was normal. Sephiroth turned to the next page.

"Referred to a psychiatrist under the suspicion of being a rape victim. Would not cooperate with psychiatrist. Referred to outside specialist. Refuses to take medicine," the silveret read from the page. Zack tensed on Sephiroth's shoulder. The younger reached around and tried to grab the file from the older, but Sephiroth just jerked the file out of his reach before starting to flip through it again. "Fuckers," he hissed.

"What?" Zack asked, trying to grab the file again. Sephiroth let the teen take it this time.

"They didn't give any details in the written reports, and any information about his parents is missing," he hissed again, reaching for his keyboard.

"Wait! Use Kunsel's! He said they won't be suspicious if we use his," Zack hurriedly intercepted. Sephiroth nodded slowly, reaching for the laptop carrier.

"Yes, it would not be wise to search for him on my computer," Sephiroth growled to himself. "Thank you for stopping me."

"No problem…but I don't see why we really have to be so stealthy over all this anyway. I thought you were untouchable 'cause of your class," Zack said, flipping through Cloud's file more slowly than Sephiroth had earlier.

"If Hojo finds out that I am interested in someone that is not already under his care, he will kidnap him and fuck him with an Erlenmeyer flask, among other illegal things," the silveret replied humorlessly.

"Uhg! Disgusting! How can you even get those things to go in?" Zack questioned, horrified at the mental image.

"I was referring to using it as a surrogate hole and collecting semen with it. If he felt like being that depraved, I'm sure he would use a Florence flask to start off."

"That's even worse!" Zack said shuddering. "Don't want to even think about having nerdy science geek sex with anyone!"

"Nerdy science geek sex?" Sephiroth questioned sharply, snapping his attention away from the loading desktop to Zack's face. "I'll have you know, kinky lab sex can be quite enthralling."

"And who'd you do that with?" Zack asked, mildly horrified. Sephiroth smirked.

"Angeal and Genesis," he said. He turned back to the screen, face going blank again. He pulled up the ShinRa database and began going through the channels to get into the personnel profile database. It was a database all it's own, containing the complete profile of every single ShinRa employee since DNA began being used as a means to classify people. Normal citizens were filed and kept inside a separate database. Sephiroth began to type in Cloud's ID number, recalling it from memory. It took a few moments for the computer to dig up the file from the depths of the database. Slowly, but surely, a picture of Cloud loaded on the full of the screen. Sephiroth scrolled down the page until he reached the links that allowed for easy access to the different portions of his file and clicked on PSYCHOLOGICAL.

"The most recent additions are at the top…" the General murmured. He speed read the entries as he scrolled down, stopping at an entry dated roughly six months prior. "The subject reported to outside specialists that he was gang raped four times. Allegedly one would penetrate while four others would restrain and force sexual favors from him. The matter was brought to our attention before the fifth one could get his turn. The subject is extremely withdrawn and emotional as a result of the actions. If he shows no immediate signs of improvement, then his recent promotion case must be rejected. If morale declines, then he will be demoted and discharged from ShinRa."

"Holy shit," Zack said, his hand clenching into a fist. "So this is what Reno meant when he said that Cloud was damaged."

"He is…damaged…because of this?" Sephiroth asked slowly, wrapping his mind around the word.

"I guess. I mean he…he was being forced and didn't enjoy it. I don't really understand that feeling, but from what I've seen on the news-you know, those big cases that pop up every once in a while about rape trials 'cause some grunts attacked some high classed hottie-well, those people are ruined emotionally. Paranoid and shit, you know? I've heard that sometimes they have to get demoted because they can't do their jobs…"

"So he is damaged," Sephiroth said simply. "I feel like I could use that word to describe myself as well."

"Huh? Why do you say that?"

"Growing up in a laboratory under the wing of Hojo doesn't exactly leave you without painful, immobilizing memories."

"I see. I…seeing this I can't approach Cloud like I thought. Reno said that if I started sleeping with Cloud and if it got out, other people would think it'd be alright to take him as well. He prolly would get demoted if that happened."

"Then we'll get close to him in some other way," Sephiroth said calmly. "Start by befriending him. I have about two hours open in a couple weeks, so be good enough friends with him by then to get him to come here."

"Why not just go after him yourself?" Zack questioned, not liking the fact that he was now being forced into getting Cloud for Sephiroth's own objections.

"Going to visit him on my own would call attention to him. Do you know how… unheard of it is for a General to speak with a Private?"

"I guess you have a point. And we don't want Hojo taking interest in him either. But what about his dad? I mean, Reno's practically his exclusive bodyguard. His mom is a grunt from Nibelheim, I know that much. But his dad, he's got to be someone important if they're hushing this whole situation up with a Turk."

"You are right," Sephiroth said, returning to the front page of the profile. He clicked on LINEAGE and shifted backwards in his chair. The page loaded a family tree with Cloud at the top and branching downwards through his ancestors as far as it could be traced. Cloud's mother's tree was vast, despite the fact that she was an only child; she belonged a rather prolific family. His father on the other hand…

"Where the hell is his dad's tree?" Zack asked, completely confused.

"It's been erased," Sephiroth said, the wheels in his head turning.

"Why would they do something like that?"

"Because, for some reason his family is a threat to ShinRa higher ups. But there is a link on his name. He must be a part of the ShinRa staff." Sephiroth clicked the link and was brought to a page with a picture that seemed to be taken over twenty years ago. The image of a young man with a slender face, short golden blond hair and blue eyes appeared before them.

"Those are Cloud's eyes," Zack stated quickly. "And I can really see the resemblances the more I look, but that picture has to be ancient."

"There will be no more recent information about him from this file," Sephiroth said.

"Why?" Zack questioned, puzzled.

"He's a Turk," Sephiroth said, closing the file and putting a name into the search box. Another window popped up asking for additional clearance. The General quickly input the Turk level clearance code. After a few moments, a page loaded with what looked like a very recent picture of a man in his mid to late thirties.

"Adle…" Zack read from the top of the profile.

"He is one of the oldest Turks still working actively. Few Turks live past thirty. Those that do usually retire or become less active, switching to teaching the trainees."

"Have you worked with him before?"

"Once, yes. He's ruthless," Sephiroth said, clicking on the LINEAGE link. Another window opened asking for clearance.

"Hey, won't they be able to trace this back to you if you keep imputing codes?" Zack asked.

"I have seen Rufus input his security code before. I'll use his. He's been known to do some snooping of his own before," Sephiroth explained. Zack only nodded as he waited for the page to load. Adle's family history was small, but shocking. "He is…the son of President ShinRa's Father's illegitimate child and President ShinRa's grandfather's illegitimate child…"

 

  
-.-.-.-.-.-

 

  
"I feel that we need to approach this situation carefully. One wrong move and everything will fall apart. It would be unwise to challenge Father at this point in time," Rufus said, shifting back in the leather chair in front of Tseng's desk. Tseng nodded, grabbing a file from his desk and opening it.

"This is the data you requested concerning Lazard's transactions with Hollander," Tseng said, removing the top few pages and handing them to the Vice President.

"And what about the other information I requested?"

"It's included there as well. Make sure to dispose of it properly when you're finished," Tseng advised.

"Of course. What do you take me for? A grunt?" Rufus questioned amusedly.

"Of course not, sir."

"Anyway, thank you for your services. I have some other matters to attend now, so I'll be going." The young Vice President rose from the chair and turned to exit, Tseng's eyes following him the entire way. The blond stopped after opening the door. "Reno, I do hope you know when to play dumb, deaf and blind."

"Yeah, yeah. I wasn't here, you weren't here, Tseng's six feet under and Scarlet's the queen of Wutai. Got it. Would you like me to add any other details to my story?" Reno mouthed off.

"No. I'm sure that'd be sufficient enough to piss someone off if you get interrogated," Rufus said bluntly, then continued on his way. Reno slid around the doorframe and into the room, his hand snaking around the doorknob. He stepped forward, slamming the door behind him. Tseng's eyes traveled down to the redhead's hips as he came closer.

"What are you here for?" Tseng asked, bringing his eyes back up to Reno's.

"Just to hand in a mission report, yo," Reno said, his voice flirty.

"Hand it in and go. I have work to do today," Tseng ordered.

"I know you have work, and it's boring that way, yo. Can't we do it tonight? I gotta go off someone tomorrow, and I wanna do it with a smile. You know, be in a good mood when I do it? Least I could do is give 'em a smile as I kill 'em," Reno complained, throwing his report on Tseng's desk. The older man looked up at him disapprovingly. "Ok, so I won't actually be face to face with the guy, but I still wanna fuck, yo. I mean, we've only been able to fumble around with our pants on in here."

"Alright," Tseng conceded, sighing. "But don't complain to me if you're sore in the morning." A wide grin broke across Reno's face.

"Hey, don't worry. I can handle myself, yo," Reno said.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Yeah, right." Reno's face suddenly became stern. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you, apparently someone broke into a grunt Lieutenant's office and stole a bunch of files, one of which was Cloud's."

"And?" Tseng egged, seeming marginally more interested than he normally was.

"I have a feeling it was Zack, but there's no proof, yo. Everything except the missing files was in place, and there was no DNA left behind."

"I see," Tseng said, his brows knitting together.

"If he doesn't find what he wants in the file, then he might try to dig deeper, and that could be dangerous. If it becomes public knowledge about Cloud's dad…"

"There will be executions, I know. Keep a close eye on Cloud. I will monitor Adle. He's dangerous enough as it is. It would be unwise to let them know of each other's existence," Tseng said, leaning forward on his desk, allowing his fatigue to seep minutely into his features.

"Right," Reno nodded. The redhead stepped back. "I should get going then. Got to get back to watching Cloud." Tseng nodded once, watching Reno slip out of the room silently.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

It wasn't until two weeks after his little infiltration mission that Zack made his move to befriend Cloud a second time. The blond was reluctant to trust Zack again, but the SOLDIER's persistence seemed to be winning the teen over bit by bit. The first day Zack had approached Cloud, he received a sharp scolding from Reno, but fended the redhead off. He'd explained that he had thought over everything he'd been told and was going to try again from scratch and just be a companion. It took approximately two and a half weeks to get Cloud to the point where they could eat lunch outside with Reno without the teen looking like he was afraid for his life. Hence they were eating in the courtyard, all three of them.

Cloud poked at his gruel of a meal, wrinkling his nose. Lunch wasn't always the best meal of the day, especially when it was beef stew day. The stews were often thick and clumpy with vegetables of questionable freshness and poor quality over-cooked meat. Zack eyed Cloud's stew with a critical eye, finally wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"I'm so glad that the SOLDIER mess has better food than that," he said decidedly, taking a large bite out of his sandwich. Cloud scowled at his bowl. Slowly he began to shovel the meat and vegetables into his mouth, leaving as much of the clumpy liquid as he could.

"I'll bring you a fresh dumb apple tomorrow," Reno said, sipping on his sports drink. "They're probably better for you than that crap, even if they claim that they balance the diet to optimize everyone's abilities."

"I've never had a dumb apple before," Cloud said, looking up at Reno.

"Then all the more reason to get you one," Reno said, a smile pulling on the corner of his lips. "Fucking amazing shit, yo. Right, Zack?"

"I wouldn't know either. I didn't know about them until Angeal told me, but he never offered me one," Zack said, his mood darkening at the memory.

"Didn't you go to Banora though?" Reno asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but I didn't have time to pick one and eat it. I was kinda busy. Then Tseng ordered the whole place bombed. I doubt there will be any new crops," Zack explained.

"Yeah, but ShinRa hordes food. I'm sure they got a crate somewhere in the back. I'll get us all some if they aren't rotten," Reno said, leaning back. He was keeping a close eye on Zack, though Cloud didn't seem to notice. The boy was beginning to just get as comfortable around Zack as with him, which disconcerted him a bit.

"They've got me scheduled to go on a mission later this week," Cloud said quietly.

"Really? Where to?" Zack asked, perking back up.

"They're sending me out to do monster control in the dessert. It's pretty routine, but at least it's getting out."

"Tell me about it. There haven't been many good missions lately for First Classes. I've been stuck inside doing paper work and running errands for Sephiroth," Zack griped. Cloud tensed slightly at the mention of the General's name. The adverse reaction to it only confirmed Reno's fear that the second assailant was Sephiroth.

"Eh, work for a Turk's been good lately. Ya know, whack someone, spy a little, and then slack off for he rest of the day. It's the life, yo."

"I don't think your job's anymore glamorous than Cloud's," Zack said. "I mean, you both do ShinRa's dirty work."

"You mean we all do the dirty work. ShinRa's gotta problem, they send us. They don't send those fluffy execs to do squat, yo. Their brains are so big it atrophies their body, so they're like deformed mutant people," Reno corrected, a grin on his lips.

"Like Hojo?" Zack added. The two older teens burst into laughter. The joke went over Cloud's head, leaving him to watch the others.

"It's about time I go," Cloud said, standing up with his tray. "If I don't leave now I'll be late for duty."

"Right, right. Get your ass out of here then," Reno urged, giving the blond a small push off. "Don't want you getting in trouble again."

"Yeah, last thing you need is punishment for not doing your punishment," Zack grinned. Cloud frowned at the older teen before turning away and jogging inside.

"Well, I am heading back to work. I have a bitch of a report to write," Reno said, standing up.

"Yeah, same. Mission reports suck. Do people even read them?"

"Why don't you ask Sephiroth that? I know Tseng reads mine."

"Heh, right. I'll go bug him about that later then," Zack said, grinning.

"Don't get killed," Reno warned, turning towards the building. He waved over his shoulder before disappearing inside. Zack stretched leisurely before hoisting himself up. He briskly jogged around the building and entered through a different door than Reno and Cloud had. Making a point to avoid Reno's path, he made his way to where he knew Cloud would be. When he arrived the blond was putting on the last of his weapons.

"Hey, Cloud," Zack called, his face serious. The younger teen looked up at him surprised. "I'm hoping Reno's really back at his desk, 'cause I don't want this getting reported to the higher ups."

"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, balking. Unease seeped onto his delicate features.

"Sephiroth wants to meet with you," Zack deadpanned. Cloud furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Why?" the blond asked timidly, a twinge of fear creeping into his voice.

"He wants to apologize personally, I guess. Anyway, he's free right now. You should come with me to see him."

"What about my duty?"

"I already told your Sergeant that I would be taking you up to the VR room on the forty-ninth floor for some hand to hand combat. He agrees that you suck at it." Cloud didn't reply, his face still showing a clear dislike of the situation. "Hey now, I know this sounds bad, but really, nothing's gonna happen. I promise."

"Alright," Cloud reluctantly conceded. Zack smiled faintly before motioning for Cloud to follow him. Zack made quick work of the journey. He adamantly refused to let Cloud drag behind. Cloud hesitated when they entered the foyer to Sephiroth's office. Zack grabbed the younger's wrist and hauled him past the secretary and into the office.

Cloud swallowed hard when he saw the General seated at his desk, concentrating on a document. It was odd to see the man doing such domestic work. Most of the images of Sephiroth that had been instilled in his head were those of the battlefield. Before that night in the weapons storage room, Cloud wouldn't have even thought Sephiroth had a sex drive. The man always seemed so closed and inhuman, godly even, to him. Cloud was barely comfortable around Zack, and to be thrown into a situation where he was with the two men that intimidated him most put him on the edge of sanity. He glanced at Zack, attempting to reel in his emotions.

"Cloud." The blond snapped his attention back to the General, realizing that the man had looked up at him while he was staring at Zack. The teen shrank back a little, incredibly nervous under the intense gaze.

"Yes, sir?" he asked timidly.

"I owe you an apology," Sephiroth said, pushing his chair back and standing. Cloud resisted the urge to back away as the older moved closer. "What I did was wrong. It was the wrong way to go about forming a relationship with you. I am sorry. I hope that I can make it up to you somehow."

"You don't have to do anything, sir," Cloud said, turning his head away.

"He scared you shitless! Of course he has to make it up to you!" Zack chimed in from behind Cloud. Sephiroth leveled a glare with Zack's eyes, causing the ravenet to back down.

"It is the least I can do since I caused you to go through something unpleasant. I should have foreseen any mental illnesses since you were seeing the psychiatrist as often as I."

"I don't have a mental illness," Cloud snapped, harsher than he had intended. He instantly regretted the forcefulness in his words, flinching back by reflex. A smile ghosted across Sephiroth's lips.

"You are like a Chocobo. Timid in the face of danger, but fierce when directly attacked. I like that about you," Sephiroth said thoughtfully. Cloud looked up at Sephiroth; his eyes widened.

"You really don't have to do anything, sir. Just please, let me go on with my life. We live in two different worlds, and they shouldn't cross," Cloud said, confidence slowly building.

"Then at least let me give you a gift. One worthy of the service you did give to me, albeit reluctantly." Sephiroth took his seat. He opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out a needle, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and a small box. He motioned for Cloud to come closer. Cloud reluctantly obeyed, unsure of what was going to happen. "Get on your knees," Sephiroth gently requested. Cloud gulped, not liking the way things were sounding.

Sephiroth reached out gently and pushed away the hair covering Cloud's left ear. "Hold this," he directed quietly. Cloud's hand rose immediately to hold the hair back. The older opened the bottle of rubbing alcohol and dabbed it on a cotton ball before swiping the lobe of Cloud's ear. Next, he carefully dipped the needle into the alcohol. Sephiroth gently pressed the needle to Cloud's earlobe, bracing the back with his finger. The General pushed the needle through quickly, causing Cloud to flinch from the unexpected pain. The silveret grabbed for the cotton ball again, dabbing at the puncture to remove any blood. Cloud followed Sephiroth's hands as they reached for the little box he'd pulled out earlier. He opened it and pulled out a red spherical earring. He pressed it to the end of the needle before forcing it the rest of the way through the ear. When the earring was left alone in the ear, he placed the backing on and cleaned away the blood once more.

"Treasure that," Sephiroth said, pulling back. Cloud's hand instantly went up to the earring, fingering it gingerly. "Be sure to clean it everyday. You can't afford to let it get infected."

"Why did you do this?" Cloud asked timidly, afraid that the jewel was some sort of territory claim.

"I wanted to show you that you can trust me," Sephiroth answered simply. Cloud only scrunched his face in confusion, the reasoning completely going over his head.

"Piercing and getting pierced are kinda like a right of passage into brotherhood between friends in SOLDIER," Zack explained from his position on the other side of the desk. "It means he wants to be your friend, a close one that you can rely on in times of need." Cloud nodded hesitantly, eyeing Zack's piercing.

"This earring is valuable as well. It's a piece of summoning material. Should you be in trouble, it should lend you some strength," Sephiroth explained. Cloud looked at the General once more. The silveret smiled faintly before nodding. "You are dismissed now."

Cloud quickly leapt to his feet, saluted, and exited the office. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the piercing at all. Were they sincere? Did they really tell him the truth about it? He fingered the jewel once more, unable to shake the feeling of unease.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"You can't just keep ignoring the reports," Tseng said, carefully concealing the unease in his voice. "If things are left like this, who knows what could happen."

"I am well aware of this fact, but my father is being an idiot. There's not much I can do if he doesn't want to listen to me. I swear, Hojo has him in the palm of him hand," Rufus grumbled.

"Can't you act on your own on at least one thing? If we can send in some troops to contain the problem, then I think we can make some progress," Tseng proposed.

"I agree, however, the situation is becoming something more than what the average SOLDIER is capable of. Even if we sent in a whole squadron, I think they would succumb to the very thing they are trying to contain. Clearly this is a mission that requires Sephiroth's skills, but the risk is high enough that even he would fail. Anyone directly related to that project is a great liability in this situation. What we need right now is someone with that skill level, but without the instability. It's a hopeless wish, but nonetheless…"

"We could send the Turks in to directly deal with the situation instead."

"No," Rufus refused sharply. "Turks are viewed negatively by the public. Even if they were to correct the problem quietly, the townspeople would know something happened."

"True. Then there's no other choice but to use SOLDIER."

"Correct. I will propose this mission to the new Director of SOLIDER as a personal favor. Sephiroth will have to be the one sent, but I will leave it to him to pick who accompanies him."

"Sir, what about Zack Fair? He's a bit rash and emotional, but I think he would be a good balance for the General. He is the person closest to him now that Genesis and Angeal are gone."

"I believe that's a wise choice then. Hopefully they will be able to stabilize each other."

"They balance each other well," Tseng explained. "They will be a good pair to send."

"Tseng, speaking of balancing out, you seem a little more at ease with yourself lately," Rufus commented, a smile tinting his lips.

"I suppose I have. I seemed to have stumbled upon a good stress reliever."

"I see. So you've finally settled into a relationship?" Rufus asked.

"You could call it that, though I don't exactly know what he thinks of me."

"He's an idiot when it comes to matters of the heart, I'm sure. He's still young. Give him time to grow up."

"Sir, is it dumb of me to…doubt that I am enough to satisfy him?" Tseng asked cautiously.

"With a guy like Reno? Your doubts are understandable, but I don't think you're the type that would let him remain unsatisfied for very long. He decided to be with his boss despite the risks associated with such a relationship. I think that means that he's willing to risk his neck for what you two have. Though, I do find it unbecoming of him that he doesn't realize your jealousy. He is, after all, trained to read people. But then again, maybe he realizes it and is just teasing you," Rufus mused.

"I think he just doesn't know how to read me yet," Tseng replied.

"That too. I was raised with you always near, so I suppose I understand your emotions better than most. Give him time. I'm sure he'll come around eventually."

"Thank you, sir," Tseng said, bowing his head.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get going. The press meeting is in an hour, and I have to be there to prepare well in advance," Rufus said, rising from his seat.

"Please, don't get involved in any scandals," Tseng pleaded as Rufus headed to the door. He knew that if the Vice President were to get into any form of trouble, he would be the one that would have to clean it up.

"I'm not like my father," the blond said, turning to face Tseng. "Fucking around like a horny dog is beneath me." The younger turned and exited swiftly.

Tseng immediately pulled his phone out and sent a text to Reno. It only took the redhead a few minutes to reach his office. The teen's eyes were wide and questioning. His lips were parted slightly as he regained his breath.

"What's wrong?" Reno asked, quickly stepping towards Tseng's desk.

"You need to reduce how much you are interfering with Cloud's life," the older said calmly.

"What?" Reno asked, confused.

"I'm saying that from now on, if it does not involve Adle or Sephiroth, then you need to let Cloud handle the problem on his own. He needs to be able to stand on his own. This babying, it can't continue. I need you to focus on other things."

"Other things? Like what?" Reno asked, anger clearly seeping into his voice.

"Like us," Tseng said simply. Reno struggled with words for a few minutes before giving up and looking away. "You talk about him most times we're together. It makes me wonder whom you're more loyal to."

"I…" Reno started, but couldn't find any words to explain himself.

"Anything major that happens from here on, please do not directly interfere," Tseng said sternly. "This is coming to you from your superior."

"Yes, sir," Reno conceded reluctantly.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"It seems like it's been getting harder and harder to meet lately," Aerith said quietly, nuzzling into Zack's shoulder. Taking a deep whiff of his scent, she wrapped her arms around him and gently gripped his shirt.

"Sorry about that," Zack murmured as he tightened his grip around the younger girl. He let his eyes rest on the flowers that defied all odds by growing in the slums. "Since Angeal, I've just been throwing myself into work. I've been taking up any mission I can."

"It's not all your fault. I've been pretty busy too. I've been helping with everyone down here. A lot of people seem to be getting sick lately, and I've been spending more time treating the sick than here tending flowers," Aerith soothed.

"I should come help you more then," Zack said.

"That might be nice, but wouldn't you worry about getting sick?" Aerith asked.

"Nah, SOLDIERs don't really get colds and stuff like that. The mako builds up our immune systems."

"I see. Then I could really use the help of a man like you around here. I can't really carry people from place to place, and it'd be nice to maybe set up a provisional quarantine here at the church."

"Why's that? I mean, why do you want to quarantine them?"

"Most of the people down here are in poor health already. Catching something like this flu can kill them. It's better to isolate the sickest so they can get the care they need, right? There's not a lot of help for us down here, just a bunch of crackpot doctors out for money. It's the housewives and such that really know what they're talking about."

"Sometimes I think you're too kind," Zack said smiling. Aerith raised her gaze to meet Zack's.

"Is that really a bad thing in a place like this? I think this place could use a little more kindness."

"Heh, I guess your right," Zack laughed. He leaned forward and carefully placed a kiss on Aerith's lips. The brunette quickly responded. It was only a matter of minutes before things escalated, reaching a boiling point. Zack pulled away, his hand resting on Aerith's thigh under her skirt and his lips at her collarbone.

"Are you really alright with this?" Zack questioned timidly.

"You care about me, right?" Aerith asked in return. Zack nodded slowly. "Then that's all the reassurance I need."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More lines directly from the game somewhere down there.

Cloud fidgeted restlessly. He had been called into his superior's office before the rest of his peers had even woken and was informed that he had been drafted for a sudden mission. He was to get ready and meet with two more grunts and wait on floor forty-three for the accompanying SOLDIERs. He had been waiting an hour already and still no one had showed up at the rendezvous point. Cloud began pacing, peeking around the corners to make sure there wasn't anyone waiting in a different spot. He sighed, giving up and leaning back against the wall.

After another fifteen minutes of waiting, he finally heard footsteps heading his way. He quickly snapped off the wall and to attention, fearing that it might be one the SOLDIERs. When the person rounded the corner, Cloud relaxed a bit.

"Zack? What are you doing here?" he asked cautiously. It was true he'd been feeling more relaxed around Zack in recent weeks, but the older teen still unnerved him to some extent.

"Uuuh… I was out and got a text message from Tseng that I had a mission and I should report here. Fuck my head hurts. Didn't get enough sleep," Zack replied, rubbing his eyes. He peeked through his fingers at Cloud. "So why are you here?"

"Ah… uh, well they woke me up and told me I was drafted to go. That's all. They didn't even tell me where we were going," Cloud mumbled, looking down and to the side.

"So where are the others? I know we can't be the only ones going," Zack questioned, glancing around.

"None of the others have shown up yet, and I don't even know who they are to track them down," Cloud stated. It was too early in the morning for him to function at full capacity and he didn't find being around Zack alone particularly inviting, especially after the day before.

"For a company so meticulous, you'd think they'd tell us shit every once in a while," Zack said, shaking his head.

"Yeah. I guess we'll just have to wait…" Cloud said, nervousness creeping into his voice. Zack was pretty high up on the food chain when it came to SOLDIER, and that meant that the missions were more dangerous. If the last mission he'd accompanied Zack on was anything to go on, this mission was probably serious and incredibly important to ShinRa.

"Oh! That's right!" Zack chirped, his face brightening. The older teen quickly closed the distance between himself and Cloud and grabbed for the younger's ear. "How's it doing? It tender? You clean it?"

"It's fine," Cloud squeaked, jerking back. He reached up for his ear subconsciously and fingered the earring before frowning and dropping his hand. He was still uneasy about the ring and didn't like other people touching it at all. When his roommates had caught site of it, they fawned over it, asking too many questions and touching it too much to make him comfortable. He quietly thanked the Goddess that he hadn't seen Reno since it was put in.

"Ok, I won't touch it," Zack said, putting both hands in the air and taking a few steps back. Cloud diverted his gaze away from Zack, slightly embarrassed at his own behavior.

"Sorry… It just feels awkward when people touch it. I'm not used to it being there." Zack nodded and pat Cloud on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. It's not uncommon. I was wigging out the first week I had mine. My hair kept getting stuck in it, and I'd forget I had it. Wasn't a pretty sight," Zack tried to comfort. Cloud cracked a small smile and shook his head. Zack suddenly turned around and took a few steps. "The elevator's coming. It better be those other grunts."

"You can hear the elevator?" Cloud questioned, slightly amazed. Zack turned back to face Cloud, grinning.

"Well, yeah. It is kinda quiet this early in the mourning and I  _do_  have enhanced hearing," Zack bragged. Cloud merely nodded, hearing the ping of the elevator doors opening. Two sets of footsteps began making their way down the hall. When they reached the rendezvous point, Zack glared them down and spoke in his best commanding voice "You should be here before me. You took too long. Go run laps around the floor until the other SOLDIER gets here."

The two grunts stiffened but couldn't defy the order and quickly took off around the floor. Zack chuckled as he watched them run around for fifteen minutes for entertainment. When the elevator dinged for a second time, the sound of boots running ceased and was followed by a sharp "Sir!" Soon the grunts were running back. They lined themselves up with Cloud and assumed a rigid attention, not daring to let their breath to be heavy after the running. Cloud snapped to form as well, fearing the man that would walk around the corner.

When Sephiroth swiftly rounded the corner, Cloud had to stifle a gulp. This mission was definitely not going to be a safe one. Zack and Sephiroth together on a mission. It wasn't boding well for the mission or his personal boundaries.

"Seph! So we're going on this mission together? It's been a while since we worked together," Zack said happily. Sephiroth only shook his head as he stopped in front of Zack.

"Fair, you know this is a serious mission if I have been assigned to it," Sephiroth said smoothly.

"True…" Zack trailed off, letting the wheels turn in his head. "So what's this mission about?"

"There have been some issues with abnormally strong monsters in the region surrounding some reactors," Sephiroth stated simply.

"Just some lame old monster hunting?" Zack whined. Cloud sighed mentally. Monsters didn't seem that horrible. He wouldn't be expected to do much fighting either. He would just have to watch Zack and Sephiroth's backs in case there was a battle.

"Many operatives have been sent out to apprehend these fiends already, but none have returned. They have decided to send in the big guns to deal with problem. We are to eliminate the monsters as well as eradicate the source of these monsters. They are estimated at being around M20 in strength." This time Cloud couldn't help but gulp. The mission was sounding more and more dangerous by the minute. He was beginning to doubt whether he would be returning alive or not.

"Ok… That sounds better at least. So where's this reactor?" Zack asked.

"Nibleheim," Sephiroth said solemnly, his eyes drifting briefly to Cloud. The blonde's jaw dropped and he began stammering silently, trying to wrap his head around the news. His hometown was under siege from monsters. His thoughts began drifting towards his mother and whether she was alright or not. Now he had no choice but to stand up protect the only person that he held close.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud felt like puking as the ship began its docking process, but that wasn't a new feeling at all. The whole boat ride from Junon was not exactly the most smooth. The beach of Costa Del Sol looked like a promising safe haven, but Zack's voice made him give up all hope for stable, non-swaying ground.

"Cloud, hurry it up, or we'll leave you behind!" Zack shouted one last time. The blond teen forced the rising bile back down his throat and quickly jogged to the van that awaited him. As soon as he was fully in, Zack slammed the door closed. "You ok? You're looking a little green."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Cloud croaked out, taking his seat. The boat lurched as it came in contact with the dock. The engine of the van soon started, the vehicle soon moving out of the boat and heading towards the mountains. Cloud's motion sickness didn't lessen any. This was not his trip. First a chopper flight from Midgar to Junon, followed by the several hour long boat ride, and now they were going to spend a day in a van traveling across the mountains, clearing out any rouge Class M20s. Cloud's specific orders were, according to Sephiroth, to watch the SOLDIERs' back and provide maintenance to weapons and help treat the few injuries they might get in battle.

"Zack, I hope you're not taking this too lightly," Sephiroth chided as he fastened himself into his seat. Zack remained standing, a grin growing on his face.

"I'm taking this as seriously as I can before giving myself an ulcer. Let's just take advantage of this as a bit of training for now, since we don't know to much," Zack responded. The ravenette began to do squats. Cloud off handedly admired the older teen's sense of balance in the moving vehicle, wishing he'd had the ability to stomach this much motion with such grace.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

The van stopped roughly three hours from Nibelheim. Cloud glanced out the windshield to see just why they had stopped, and decided that he would definitely be getting out. The screeching, gruesome creature outside—what undoubtedly had to be one of the M20s—took up most of the road as it stumbled closer. Zack and Sephiroth rose from their places after observing the monster for a few moments. Sephiroth motioned for Cloud and the others to stay put as Zack opened the door and hopped out.

"There's more out here than just that one. I don't like the looks of these guys. Do you think the other operatives even made it past them?" Zack said, as he disappeared around the van.

"For all we know they could have just recently migrated this far. Let us not judge what these  _things_  are like until after we have dispatched them," Sephiroth commented, following Zack. They reappeared on the other side of the truck, clearly visible through the windshield. There were four monsters in the road now, but only two seemed to be aggressive. The two SOLDIERs each took one, skillfully dodging them and cleanly taking them out in a few blows.

As they turned to fight the remaining two, one of the monsters opened its mouth as if letting out a wail, but no sounds made it to the van. Sephiroth dropped to his knees, hands covering his ears. Cloud lunged forward, grabbing onto the back of the front seat— _Sephiroth_  had actually been  _stunned_. Zack shouted in concern, rushing to Sephiroth's side, only to be stopped as one of the monsters lunged at him. Zack collapsed to the ground under the force and weight of the creature, floundering to get control of the situation back. Cloud grabbed his rifle and hopped over the seatback into the front cabin of the van, preparing to fire out the passenger side window. His heart was pounding, his breathing ragged. He would be lying if he said he wasn't scared out of his mind at the situation. The gruesome creatures were human like in skeletal structure, but resembled people in no other way.

The blond took a deep breath and just as he was aiming for the monster on Zack's back, it fell off the older teen in two pieces. Cloud quickly whipped his gaze back to Sephiroth, who was now standing again, a hand gently pressing at his temple. The monsters lay in pieces on the ground, but that didn't seem to satisfy the General. As Zack began to get to his feet, Sephiroth lunged at the corpse of the monster that had wailed moments before. Slicing it into as many pieces as he could before finally throwing a fireball at it. Zack forcefully grabbed Sephiroth's arm, and pulled the older man back a few steps. The General merely shook off the younger's hand and turned swiftly back towards the van.

"What the hell was that Seph?" Zack asked wildly, following the silveret back to the van. Sephiroth ignored the teen and boarded the vehicle, seating himself where he was before the incident. Zack climbed in after the older, exasperated. "Seph, what the hell happened back there?"

"Close the doors and drive," Sephiroth said sternly. The anger and disgust tinting his voice sent a chill down Cloud's spine.

"But Seph—" Zack tried to ask again.

"That is an order," Sephiroth growled. Zack closed his mouth and swiftly closed the van doors. Cloud quietly crawled into the back again and fastened himself into his seat. The van started moving along again. After a few moments of awkward, pregnant silence, Sephiroth spoke again. "If you see any more of those things, on the road or not, stop and inform me. We're going to take them out on sight."

"Seph, you can't be serious. Look at what they did to you!" Zack protested. The General turned his glare to Zack, his lips pursed and serious.

"I only underestimated their abilities. I will not make the same mistake again. These were weak creatures, but they will most likely gain strength as we near the reactor. We cannot let them live. If normal travelers encounter such a thing, they would not survive," Sephiroth snapped. No one dared to speak again, not wanting to invoke Sephiroth's anger further. Zack sat next to the General but did not fasten himself in.

Cloud forgot his motion sickness, too disturbed by the events that had just happened to notice that they were even moving. What if these M20s had the ability to defeat Sephiroth? If he was seriously injured or killed, what would happen to the rest of the group? To Nibelheim? He didn't want to think about any of that.

As they traveled on, the van made a few more stops to kill the human like M20s as well as several mutated versions of fiends that Cloud was familiar with. Sephiroth ran into no further problems in the fights, but Cloud remained unnerved. What was going on around his home?

"Hey, Cloud, you ok?" Zack whispered, sliding next to him. Cloud started from his thoughts and looked up into Zack's eyes, slightly confused.

"I think I am. Just a little… shaken up. It wasn't like this when I left," Cloud replied quietly.

"It wasn't? How long ago did you leave home?" Zack questioned.

"Almost three years, maybe. The monsters have changed way too drastically for this to be normal. I'm worried."

"About the town? Don't worry about that. With a situation like this going on, there's bound to be a few Turks posted around, and those guys aren't chumps," Zack said, attempting to comfort Cloud.

"I don't give a damn about the town. All I care about is my mom. No one else ever gave a damn about me there," Cloud bit. Zack pulled back, slightly surprised.

"Ah… Sorry, I didn't realize. We'll check up on her or something then. I'm sure she's fine."

"I'm afraid of what the townspeople might do to me when we get there. I told them I'd leave and become something great in the regulation army, but none of them believed me. If I go back now before I've even had a chance to pick up the broken pieces of my dignity and shape up, they might chase me out."

"Now you are coming up with silly ideas," Sephiroth said from his spot on the other end of the van. Cloud stiffened, looking up at the General without moving his head. "If you do not want them to know it is you, put on your helmet and do not talk to them. It is unwise for an ill-prepared soldier to enter battle. Wait until you are ready to confront them to do so."

"Yes, sir," Cloud whispered, bobbing his head slightly. Zack hit him on the back and returned to his seat.

"I can see the gates. We'll be there in a few minutes. Get your shit together," Zack said, moving back to where his things were. Cloud grabbed his sack of supplies, gun and helmet, ready to jump out as soon as the Van stopped. Zack pushed the doors open and everyone exited the vehicle. Cloud quickly placed his helmet on and situated his gear in the proper places before following the others to the town gates. He looked around at the area immediately surrounding the town, noticing obvious signs of fights. He bit his bottom lip and concentrated on the gate.

"So, how does it feel?" Sephiroth asked as he reached the gate. "To be home after all this time?"

"I feel complicated," Cloud answered simply.

"Is that so? I have no home town, so I would not know the feeling," Sephiroth replied.

"What about family?" Zack asked.

"My mother's name is Jenova. She died shortly after I was born. As for my father—" Sephiroth broke off into subdued laughter, leaving Cloud with the impression that, just like his own past, he shouldn't ask about Sephiroth's. "Why am I talking about this? This is not the time or place. Come on, let's go." The General continued into the town, leaving a slightly puzzled Zack to give orders.

"Damn, thought I'd finally gotten him to open up some more. Ah well," Zack said, turning back to look at the grunts. "Cloud come with me, you two, guard the entrance to the town until sunset. If anything weird looking comes, kill it. After sunset, you guys can rest. We'll talk in more detail about what we need to get down here tomorrow morning." Zack started for the town, motioning Cloud to follow. The blond followed a few paces behind, pretending he was unfamiliar with his surroundings. While the wildlife had mutated horribly, the town itself was unchanged. Everything was as he remembered it, including the townspeople. There were very few out and about, but he could understand that. Those M20s were dangerous. No one in their right mind would risk their neck against one of those.

Cloud settled his eyes upon his house. It was a little more run down than he'd left it, but the outside still looked cared for. The roof and door looked like they needed some repairing, but he knew his mother couldn't do that on her own. No one in the town cared for her much so there was no use in even trying to get help from them. Cloud sighed. He would definitely pay a visit to his mother and help with what little he could get away with.

"Uhm, excuse me," a somewhat familiar voice said, snapping Cloud out of his thoughts. He looked to the source, trying to compute exactly who it was. Then it hit him—it was Tifa, the so-called prettiest girl in the town! At one point in time, he'd thought so too, but because of bullying and a certain mishap in the mountains, he'd long since decided she wasn't as cracked up as the boys had made her. She was also the only girl in his age group. All the others were either a few years older or younger, with a large enough age gap to make playing with them undesirable. But boy had she blossomed. When Cloud had left Nibelheim, she was just starting to develop, and within almost three years she'd gained breasts larger than what could fit in his hands. In the weeks before Cloud left, she had tried to make nice with him, but he figured it was out of pity rather than actually wanting to be his friend. He felt nervous that she might have recognized him.

"Are you ones sent from ShinRa?" Tifa asked, obviously speaking to Zack. Cloud held back a sigh of relief.

"Yeah. I'm SOLDIER First Class, Zack Fair, Class B1." The older teen shifted his weight to one foot, placing a hand on his hip.

"Huh. Is the situation really so bad that we need SOLDIER First Class?" Tifa asked, wrapping her arms around her chest.

"We're not sure, but it's better to be safe than sorry, you know? Don't worry, we'll take care of you." Tifa shook her head and ran off, disappearing into the depths into her home. "What's up with her?" Zack asked, looking at Cloud.

"She's the mayor's daughter. A little eccentric, but I guess she's a normal girl. Don't mind her too much," Cloud explained, starting for the hotel. Zack nodded, jogging slightly to catch up with and surpass Cloud. Sephiroth waited at the door to the hotel.

"I will check us in. After that, I wish to have a meeting with you Zack," Sephiroth said as the two approached.

"Right. I'll go in with you, then," Zack said, nodding.

"You can go see your family and friends if you wish," Sephiroth said, addressing Cloud. The blond shook his head.

"I think I'll wait until later for that. I want to get a little rest before going to see my mom. She'll pitch a fit if I go like this," Cloud explained.

"Very well then. I want you to stand guard at the door to our room then. I do not want anyone to enter while he and I are discussing the matters at hand," Sephiroth directed as he turned and entered the hotel. It only took moments for them to check in and find their room. Cloud threw his stuff down just inside the door and closed it as he took up his duty guarding the door.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"This place ain't half bad," Zack said, flopping down on one of the beds. Sephiroth only grunted in agreement, placing his things down by the wall. The General remained standing, heading over to the window of the room.

"Our original itinerary said to check the reactor tomorrow morning, but I think it would be wise to stay around here and collect samples of the mutated monsters and M20s. Hojo might not be happy, but I want dead samples. We do not have the means to transport live fiends of their caliber. Once we've learned about the attitudes and behavior, and where the hot spots are, we will go to the reactor. I would prefer to not suspect it as the cause," Sephiroth dictated.

"Right. But what if it  _is_ the reactor and while we're killing the things, it pumps out more?" Zack asked, his face growing serious.

"These things are different from the Genesis and Angeal copies we've been dealing with, but there is something about them that tells me they aren't entirely unrelated. I want them studied and understood more before we go and destroy them."

"And what if something happens like the first time we fought those M20s? I don't even know what happened then. That thing opened its mouth, and the next thing I knew, you were on the ground. If it can do that to you, then why risk failing this mission just because of curiosity. Shouldn't we just go straight to the heart and kill it?"

"And what if there's an even more powerful M class at the center? We should charge in blindly and get ourselves killed for being idiots? We're proceeding with caution. We'll learn the weaknesses of the enemy and then make our move in a few days. No more arguments, Fair."

"Fine. 'M sorry. I shouldn't talk back to my superior. Sometimes I forget that we're even different ranks."

"That's dangerous, Zack. Don't forget it. Don't  _ever_  forget it. We live in a world like this for a reason. People that forget their rank get killed because they act stupidly." Zack sighed. Cradling his head in his hands, the ravenet looked up at Sephiroth's back.

"I'm just a bit freaked out after what happened. It's scary when the person you think is invincible goes down like that." Sephiroth remained quiet for a few moments. Zack didn't dare to speak, sensing that Sephiroth had something to say.

"You really didn't hear anything?" Sephiroth finally whispered, still staring out the window.

"No, I didn't," Zack said, concerned. He quickly rose to his feet and moved towards the General. "What did you hear?"

"It was a high pitched wailing, mixed in with screams and cries from what sounded like a dozen, maybe more, men. And over it all, one voice was calling out. 'Kill. Kill.' I couldn't take it so I sliced the things in two, but it didn't stop until after I'd burned the retched thing to ashes," Sephiroth breathed. If it weren't for a SOLDIER's enhanced hearing, Zack knew he wouldn't be able to hear him. "We need to get rid of those things. My gut is telling me we can't let them live."

"Alright, we'll kill as many as we can find around here," Zack tried to reassure.

"I want us to split into two groups," Sephiroth said, louder, his voice more sure. "I will take Cloud and use him as a guide to take me farther into the mountains. You take the others and patrol the area within a mile of the town."

"Are you really gonna put Cloud in that kinda danger?" Zack whispered skeptically, not wanting the boy to hear it from his post outside.

"What safer place than next to me?" Sephiroth whispered back, harshly.

"You know what—"

"I will not let that happen again," Sephiroth whispered sharply. "I will use this time to bond with him more. It would be a waste if I didn't."

"Fine, I understand," Zack said, unhappy with how things were panning out. He turned away from Sephiroth and headed towards the door. "I'm going to check out town."

Sephiroth leaned back on his bed as Zack exited the room. Cloud had a mixed look on his face, from what Sephiroth could grasp in the few seconds he caught sight of it. Just what was the boy going through, seeing what was happening around his hometown. However the fact that Cloud was unwilling to remove his helmet alluded to a distaste for the people of this small little village. If only Sephiroth knew what the boy's exact feelings were on the people, the places, what the boy held dear and what he loathed—then he would be able to bond with the boy while out collecting samples. This train of thoughts, however, was almost too sentimental for the General to continue pondering any longer.

Sephiroth stood, looking to leave the room and snoop around town like Fair was doing, though he didn't expect to find too much in such a place. The villagers seemed quite hostile towards ShinRa coming in at all, despite the reactor that gave them the luxuries they survived off. It was most likely do to the old ShinRa Manor on the hill. Some deranged scientist or cruel executive must have left a fowl taste in their mouth about the company, not that Sephiroth could blame them for that. ShinRa  _did_ have many despicable people in its ranks. However he felt that the type were few, and far between, in SOLDIER. The Turks were a whole other story, though.

He pushed through the door, turning to Cloud to relieve him from his duty. The blond simply slipped into the hotel room and claimed a bed, giving the General little more than a "Thank you, sir". The silveret glided down the halls, down the stairs and out the hotel into the crisp air of the mountain town. But however crisp the air was, it didn't mask the scent of mako from the reactor on the nearby mountain. It was a scent very familiar to Sephiroth from his years spent constantly exposed to it in the lab, but this particular town's mako had a flavor to it that made him nostalgic. He couldn't quite place where he had smelled it before. The whole feel of the town invoked a sense of déjà vu. He couldn't understand why, though. Nibelheim was just like every other small town, but that may have just been the exact reason why he felt so nostalgic. Maybe it reminded him too much of where Genesis and Angeal grew up. Whatever the reason, Sephiroth was unsettled.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud decided that night would be the best time to leave the hotel and go home to his mother. Unfortunately for him, Zack thought that it would be quite dandy to follow Cloud to his house. The SOLDIER was standing in front of the gate in the fence that corralled a garden and chicken coop in the Strife house's backyard. The blond frowned as he looked back at the older teen.

"Why did you follow me?" he asked Zack.

"Why  _not_  follow you? I want to meet your mom, see what kinda woman raised such a spirited guy like you," Zack replied swiftly.

"Well I'd rather my mom  _not_  meet  _you_ ," Cloud bit back.

"Too late, I'm already here," Zack said, taking a step into the backyard.

"Can't you just leave me alone to talk to my mom in peace? I haven't seen her in a long time."

"No can do, hun. You're home, gotta make sure you don't desert."

"I won't desert!" Cloud exclaimed frustratedly.

"Who's there?" a soft voice called from the backdoor of the house. Cloud whirled around, clutching his helmet close to his side.

"Mom…" he said, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Cloud?" the voice called back. Cloud's mother stepped out from behind the barely cracked door and onto the porch step, where her features were barely visible from the weak light of the moon and the dim light seeping out from the house. "Are you really Cloud?"

"Yeah, Mom…" Cloud said quickly moving towards his mother and embracing her. His grip was firm but not tight. She hugged him back, nuzzling her head into his chest.

"You haven't been kicked out, have you?" she asked quietly.

"I haven't," Cloud answered shortly. "Let's go inside." He began to nudge his mother backwards, but she wouldn't move.

"Who's out there still?" she demanded to know.

"He's my immediate superior for this mission," Cloud replied with a hint of distaste in his voice.

"Then he should come in too," she scolded. She peered around her son and motioned towards Zack. "Please come in."

"I'd be delighted ma'am," Zack said, tilting his head. The older teen followed the two in and closed the door behind him. The house was sparsely decorated, containing two beds, a small kitchen, a table and a fireplace. Zack pursed his lips, realizing just the kind of life Cloud was probably living in before joining the guard. The hell of grunt boarding at ShinRa was most likely as bad as his life before. Even though he had been labeled Class C, Cloud was undoubtedly living the life of a Class F or D. Sure the home was in better condition, but the scarcity of belongings was highly reminiscent of the homes in the slums of Midgar.

Cloud's mother was another sorry sight for the eyes. She was tiny, only just barely making five feet tall, and incredibly frail and thin looking. She couldn't have been more than eighty-five pounds, if even that. Her long blonde hair looked frazzled and damaged, her blue eyes tired, and her skin as pale as snow. She was undeniably young, and if she gained a few pounds she would be a stellar beauty. Cloud had obviously inherited his looks from both sides. While his eyes and lips strongly resembled his father, he had his mother's cheeks and nose.

"Sorry to intrude," Zack said after a few moments.

"It's fine," Ms. Strife said as she motioned towards the kitchen table. Cloud took a seat and motioned for Zack to take the other. Ms. Strife pulled up a stepping stool and sat.

"Sorry I didn't tell you I was coming in advanced, Mom. I wasn't even told I was coming here until they were ready to shuttle me off," Cloud explained.

"So you're here with the group to investigate the monsters and the reactor?" Cloud's mother asked, very calmly.

"Yeah. The General's taken an interest in the mutant monsters and the new strain that's popped up. I don't know how long we'll be here."

"Well I'm glad that you're ok. I feared the worst when you shipped off for your training. Did you run into many problems because of your family background?" Clouds mother asked gently, grabbing for Cloud's hand. Cloud glanced at Zack before turning to fully face his mother.

"There was a little, but that's to be expected, Mom. My superiors are generally very understanding. Don't worry about it," Cloud reassured his mother.

"Is he really doing alright?" she asked turning towards Zack.

"Yeah. He's healthy as an ox. If someone bullies him, he punches their lights out. He's not letting his class get in the way of him being good at his job. He's one of the strongest in his group. I do say you raised a fine son," Zack said grinning.

"Fights? Cloud, try not to make enemies with your peers…" Ms. Strife said, mildly disapproving of Cloud's actions.

"I'm not going to sit and take that crap. Besides, they hate me before they even meet me, it seems," Cloud justified.

"Whatever you say, just be careful. Have you eaten tonight?" she asked tentatively.

"I sure haven't!" Zack exclaimed. Cloud frowned.

"Don't you dare think about cooking for us. We'll be just fine going to the restaurant. ShinRa's footing the bill," Cloud chided his mother.

"Nonsense. It's not like I'm going to die from cooking. You need some good homemade food. I'll make us some soup," Ms. Strife responded, not allowing room for argument.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud found himself slightly miffed at the fact that Zack had managed to weasel every last embarrassing childhood story from his mother, despite the fact that the incident occurred four days prior. At some point, Sephiroth had forced the tales out of Zack, and Cloud was now being subjected to dry teasing during outings and long awkward silences with the General. He couldn't for the life of him fathom why Sephiroth still demanded him to be a guide after 3 days. Sephiroth was smart, right? He could certainly find his way around after a single tour. Sephiroth, however, seemed insistent on taking more of Cloud's time than was truly necessary for the mission.

Cloud heaved a sigh as he glanced back over his shoulder to make sure that Sephiroth had not, by some freak accident, lost his balance and fallen down the cliff. It was still uncomfortable for Cloud to be in the older's presence, but he was learning to let his guard down little by little. Sephiroth was protective of him, but not restrictive. If a fiend weak enough for Cloud's ability level appeared, Sephiroth would not be bothered by it and force Cloud to slay it. However, if Sephiroth felt the threat level was beyond Cloud's capability, he would step in, shielding Cloud from any harm. Granted, such tough monsters were rather few and far apart, but Cloud felt the treatment was slightly more than needed.

"Just treat it as training," Sephiroth had told him on the first day, though Cloud would have appreciated if the training had less to do with killing and more to do with survival skills and battle tactics. Though watching Sephiroth fight on the rare occasion did provide something of a learning aide, Cloud reasoned.

The past three days with Sephiroth had ended up in a few unsettling discoveries on Cloud's part. Not only had the land grown to look more dead than it had before, but the fiends seemed strange to him, even the normal species that roamed the area. They seemed more aggressive and misshapen. The once harmless, dead plants seemed to take on a dangerous air, as if new life was breathed into them and they would allow their branches to reach out and snag hold of anyone that dared to walk by.

"I've dispatched twelve of the M20s today," Sephiroth mumbled to himself, though Cloud still caught it.

"Do you want to call it a day and pitch a tent, sir?" Cloud asked, turning to face the General more fully. "It's getting late and I doubt we'd be able to reach Nibelheim before it would be time to head out again."

"We are about four miles from town, correct?" Sephiroth asked, looking back in the direction of the town. The man seemed to be a human compass in addition to the many other things he specialized in.

"Maybe if we traveled from here to there in a straight line, but it would probably be about a twenty mile hike if we follow the trail back." Cloud said, looking out over the cliff. The path they had taken into the mountains led towards the highest mountain in the area, Mount Nibel. This path, however, was the extremely long and well-traveled path from before ShinRa built the reactor. It wound around the surrounding area, often times making it seem that hikers were making little progress. If for any reason the townspeople from Nibelheim needed to visit the Mount Nibel's higher points or neighboring mountains, they took this road. The path did not stray near the reactor, however. The mako springs that had dotted the area had been considered dangerous, and were only ever investigated by those in need of materia.

"I suppose you do not want to try going back in a straight line?" Sephiroth asked, not looking at the blond.

"Maybe you can make it, sir, but I'm physically incapable of it," Cloud said as he threw his backpack to the ground.

"I could carry you," Sephiroth offered, turning towards Cloud, all seriousness in his eyes.

"No thank you, sir," Cloud responded hastily. Sephiroth twitched an eyebrow at the words. The teen quickly added, "It's not that I don't trust you, sir, it's just that I'm uneasy being touched. In general. Besides, weren't you planning on coming back this way tomorrow anyway?"

"Correct…" Sephiroth murmured as he grabbed Cloud's backpack from the ground and pulled out the make-shift army tent. The General did not pursue the topic anymore. Cloud sighed as he grabbed for the tent pieces and helped Sephiroth pitch the tent.

The tent was small, barely large enough to fit the two men. It was designed to fit two people Cloud's size in the field. The two laid down sleeping mats and crawled inside. Being quite large, Sephiroth's presence made staying in the tent incredibly uncomfortable for Cloud. It didn't take much movement to brush against the older. The blond rolled onto his side, facing the tent wall, to avoid Sephiroth's touch. Sure, Cloud had begun to become more at ease around the General, but the rifle storage room was still relatively fresh in his mind. Yes, Sephiroth had stopped then, but who knew if the silveret would demand that he do something like that again.

"Cloud," Sephiroth whispered, his hand patting the little bit of Cloud's mat that was uncovered. "Can I ask you something? Personal, I mean."

"Yeah. What?" Cloud responded just as quietly.

"Why did you join ShinRa?"

"To get away from here," Cloud said bluntly.

"But why? This is your hometown, is it not? Aren't the people here you're family and friends?"

"No. Never. Someone as high class as you probably isn't familiar with the kind of bullcrap that my mom and I had to go through here," Cloud spat.

"What did they do to you?" Sephiroth inquired. Cloud remained silent for a long moment before answering.

"My mother only told Zack the stories about me that ended happily enough to be funny after a few years. My mother was treated like a whore, and I wasn't treated much better."

"If that is the case then you might as well not have a hometown, like me," Sephiroth said, attempting to comfort the boy. Cloud remained silent, deciding that he had said all he could stand about the subject. Sephiroth sighed softly as he turned on his side to face Cloud's back.

"Is there anyplace you would like to be stationed?" Sephiroth asked after a long silence.

"Anywhere I'd liked to be stationed? I don't care as long as it's not here," Cloud said, his voice tinged with distaste. "It's nice being able to visit my mother and all, but I really can't forgive the people here for everything. It wouldn't change anything for them whether I was in the guard or not. Maybe Fort Condor or Wutai would be good."

"Wutai is a death trap," Sephiroth spoke calmly.

"I know," Cloud replied.

"I did not get the impression before now that you were suicidal."

"I'm not. I guess I just want to get out and prove that I'm just as capable as those dumb Class C1s and B4s that tormented me here."

"There are better ways to prove yourself than going to Wutai. The people there will treat you just like the people here. Wutai hates ShinRa."

"It's not like I'll ever be transferred there anyway. I'm such a low ranking grunt that I won't make it past midnight guard duty at the lobby."

"We only keep the good soldiers at the company. The crappiest are the ones that lead the initial insurgences." Cloud turned on his back, mild surprise on his face. As he turned, he brushed slightly against Sephiroth's skin.

"Really?" Cloud asked, barely audible. He had forgotten just how close the General was, and was not expecting the man to have been facing him.

"We don't give a damn if a person has a high class if their attitude is poor. We will siphon those fools off and send them to their most probable deaths when we plan to attack. A low class soldier that's dedicated is infinitely more useful than a cocky high class."

"But what about the boys in SOLDIER? Aren't they horribly cocky?" Cloud asked, imagining Zack when he had first entered the program. Sephiroth chuckled.

"That is exactly why we put many of the boys with one on one mentors at such young ages. Zack had the insolence beat out of him."

"He still thinks he's high and mighty," Cloud scoffed.

"Well he  _is_ over confident and presuming at times."

"So are you," Cloud said, moving to turn his back towards Sephiroth once more, but the older grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

"Did you forget who you are talking to?" Sephiroth said, his face blank.

"For a second I did," Cloud said, seriously. "Sorry, sir, but I think it's time that we get to sleep." Sephiroth's eyes brightened just the slightest bit as the realization that he had made significant progress washed over him.

"I would rather you feel at ease around me when we are not working. I do not wish to give the impression that I like giving orders all day. Despite my class and rank, I am mostly normal," Sephiroth confessed.

"Well this  _is_  work, and we have a long day tomorrow," Cloud said, starting to feel greatly uncomfortable with the situation again. The blond attempted to turn away again, succeeding this time.

"Is it so horrible to confide in me? To be my friend?" Sephiroth whispered. Leaving the question hanging, Cloud curled into himself the best he could in the limited space and closed his eyes. Sephiroth sighed, and continued to watch the younger's back until he was sure the teen was asleep. He gently brushed the nape of the blonde's neck with the back of his hand before turning to face the other way.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"Why do you distance yourself from your superiors so much?" Sephiroth asked as they rounded a bend in the path. It was his first attempt at real conversation that day, despite the fact that the sun was starting to disappear behind the mountains.

"What do you mean? Isn't it bad to be too attached to your superiors? We aren't supposed to fraternize. It would end extremely badly for me," Cloud responded rather robotically. Sephiroth shook his head in disbelief.

"I do not mean anything like that. I mean why do you not seem to trust Zack or me? Or any of your lower ranking superiors?"

"I do trust you, and them—with my life. Not with my body. As someone who never had to struggle with class, you can't possibly understand how dangerous it is for someone like me. To be involved with people that have that great of class and rank gap is incredibly dangerous. If someone decides they don't like it, I could be stripped of everything and be sent to work as a prostitute in the slums," Cloud explained, disgusted that he had to even think about all of the reasons why he did not trust anyone. Of course the images of his rapes played back glaringly bright in his memory, but he was not about to confess any of that to Sephiroth. The only person he would ever stand knowing was Reno, since the older teen already knew and did so much to help him already. He felt relieved that there was a common, and very truthful explanation to give Sephiroth.

"You are right that I am naive when it comes to matters of the lower class; however, do not undermine the troubles of being so high ranked. I have difficulty choosing partners because many seek to gain power from me. I know I can trust and grow closer to you because you do not want me to protect you or help you move up in rank or class. But you will not let me." Cloud chuckled at Sephiroth's words.

"It still doesn't matter what you do, though. Your future is always secure," Cloud sniped back. Sephiroth's brow creased as he thought back on Genesis and Angeal. He knew his future was not as secure as most people thought, but he knew he could not voice those concerns to Cloud. It was best that the secrets of ShinRa never reached Cloud's ears, especially with his relationship to the company.

"I think you are more comfortable around me than you think you are," Sephiroth responded, a hint of humor creeping into his voice. It would be safest to derail the conversation he started. It was the wrong things to speak to the teen about. Cloud's eyes widened for a moment as he began reeling for words. "If you were not somewhat comfortable around me, you would not speak so rudely to me."

"I've forgotten myself, sorry," Cloud stuttered quickly as he began to walk faster. He could feel a blush creeping onto his face. How could he have let himself speak that way to the  _General_  of all people? He could speak that way to Reno, yes, but only because Reno tried to make the gap between their classes more apparent.

"It's quite alright. I enjoy it when people treat me as equal. Well, at least the ones that I trust," Sephiroth said, reaching out and grabbing Cloud's earlobe. Cloud stopped dead in his tracks, heart throbbing. The General fiddled with the red stud that he'd placed in the teen's ear. Cloud tensed because of the prolonged contact. "Rely on me a little more."

Sephiroth's voice seemed to loose any hint of teasing it had before, reverting back to his usual monotone. He dropped his hand, allowing Cloud to break free. The blond ran forward and around the bend. Sephiroth followed more sedately, deciding it was best for the teen to calm down. As he caught up with the teen, he realized that they had reached the mouth of the path that led back into Nibelheim. With all his data collected, he knew that they would have to start up the mountain the next morning. He could not put off investigating the reactor any longer.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More scenes from the game with lines straight from the scenes.

Cloud stood rigidly in place as he awaited the mountain guide's arrival. Zack was standing farther up the path with Sephiroth, chatting quietly. He did not particularly want to climb the mountain because of past experiences. The other children in the town often liked to play in the lower portions of the path, much to their parents' displeasure. As a child, he was often bullied in this area. He had been pushed off rocks, beaten and tied to trees. The few times he had been tied to a tree, someone ultimately took pity on him after a few hours and released him. Usually it would be one of the younger boys or older girls, but as he got older, the one that helped him more and more was Tifa. He had also been forced into doing many dumb things to gain even a scrap of acceptance by the others.

The bullying culminated in a fiasco that led the rest of the village to scorn him worse than usual for several months. He was threatened to climb the mountain and go to the reactor by the other children. He set out alone, only for Tifa to appear not far behind him. She insisted that it was too dangerous for Cloud to go alone and refused to go back despite his argument that it was too dangerous for  _her_  to go. In the end the boards on one of the wooden suspension bridges gave out beneath their feet and they fell several hundred feet. Both of them had been knocked out and were there for several hours before search parties came looking for them. Cloud suspected that had Tifa not been with him, no one would have come looking for him for several more days. The other children would not have felt the weight of their actions until they realized that Cloud was probably dead and half eaten after being missing for a week, and would then report what they had done. Tifa, as the mayor's daughter, was much more important to their well-being. The bullies confessed when they realized that Tifa had not been seen or heard from by dinnertime.

"Man, Mount Nibel looks ominous," one of the other grunts said off handedly. "I hope the trip to the reactor is short and sweet. It's giving me goose bumps."

"Nothing to do with Mount Nibel is short and sweet," Cloud grumbled. The blond turned his gaze towards the path leading back to town.

"Shit, really? Why did I have to get the shitty mission?" the grunt continued to complain. Cloud simply blocked the rest of the man's rambles out. It wasn't like Cloud was enjoying his whole situation much more. He wanted to leave as soon as possible and get away from his nightmare of a hometown. A few heads became visible on the path from the town Cloud assumed it was the trail guide and the mayor. As the figures grew closer, the teen's eyes widened in surprise.

"Damn, never thought Tifa'd be our guide," Zack whispered outside of Cloud's helmet. The younger teen jumped, whirling around to smack the older in the chest, only for Zack to back away. The ravenet grinned as he stepped closer once more and whispered: "Though I can't really complain, 'cause she's hot and in a mini skirt." Cloud grabbed Zack's belt and yanked him closer.

"Listen, Zack, if she asks about me—"

"Pretend I don't know you. Got it. Doesn't mean I'm not allowed to tap her, though, right?" Zack interjected. Cloud's face contorted in disgust, though he knew Zack could probably not see it too well through the visor. He shoved Zack back as best as could.

"You're disgusting," the blond sniped before turning away and moving closer to the other two grunts.

"Ooookay, I'll take that as a no," Zack said before roaming back over to Sephiroth. Cloud watched from the sidelines as Zack and Sephiroth met Tifa and her father.

"Tifa, you're our tour guide? Man what a surprise," Zack cooed. Cloud disliked the flirtatious tone in the older boy's voice.

"I may be a girl, but I'm the best guide in town. No one knows the paths around here better than me," Tifa responded quickly, unfazed by Zack's words. Years of dealing with the boys around town had built up an immunity to cheap words.

"Still, I feel bad dragging someone like you into all of this. I'd hate myself if something happened," Zack said, still laying his charms on thick.

"She will be fine if you protect her," Sephiroth quipped, obviously read to start up the mountain.

"I can protect myself," Tifa said, losing her patience. "Now if you don't mind, I would like to inform everyone going about what is up ahead." She moved away from the two SOLDIERs and towards the three grunts. Cloud stiffened, still nervous that she might recognize him. Zack and Sephiroth quickly joined the rest and Tifa began.

"The journey will be pretty dangerous, alright? There's no guaranteeing how the paths and bridges have survived over the years. I know I'm considered the best trail guide in the village, but the mountain has a mind of its own. The monsters and mutating plant life have altered things beyond even my knowledge, not to mention the fact that the mountainside is always eroding. I cannot guarantee that all of the pathways will be clear. No one ever goes up to the reactor so we don't know if there have been any rock slides," Tifa briefed. "I know I may not look like much, but you can trust me to get you there."

"Right. Then let's head out," Sephiroth directed. As he began to turn to the path, a man came running from the town, yelling for them to wait.

"Wait! Can you please pose for a picture first? Tifa with the two SOLDIERs, for the news paper!" Sephiroth growled and started to walk again.

"Ah, come on Seph! Don't be spoilsport. What's the harm in one photo?" Zack whined. The General furrowed his brows but rejoined Zack and Tifa. The two teens posed with smiles while Sephiroth kept his scowl. As soon as the photo was snapped, Sephiroth turned away again.

"One picture is all you are getting. Let's get moving before the sun rises any more," Sephiroth directed. Tifa sighed and jogged ahead of the General. The rest of the party followed suit more sedately, Cloud taking up rear guard to put as much distance between him and Tifa as possible.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Half way up the main mountain trail, Zack pulled Cloud up to the front of the line. For whatever reason, he was sure that Cloud would be more susceptible to injury in the back and forced another grunt to take up the rear position. Travel went ahead without many interventions, and the few monsters that dared to attack the party were quickly dispatched by Sephiroth. When they met with a fork in the path, Tifa recommended the high road because it was a direct path.

Zack made several attempts at small talk with Tifa, but the girl continued to ignore him, pretending that she was too absorbed in the landscape to notice. Sephiroth eventually pulled Zack aside and threatened the older teen to shut up lest he lose his balls when they returned to the hotel. Tifa stopped walking when the group reached a long rope bridge that climbed upwards toward the peak of mount Nibel. She turned around to face the others, her face serious.

"It will be more dangerous from here on. Once we pass this bridge, we'll be within a mile of the reactor. The path is well maintained up until this point. Few people actually enjoy crossing this bridge, so it's only traveled on when it must be used. For this reason I must ask you to use the bridge one at a time, and try to keep an equal distance between us. We can't cluster up. It might cause the bridge to break from the weight," Tifa explained, motioning to the bridge and the deep valley it passed over. "I'll go first."

"Wait a moment," Sephiroth said as Tifa began to turn back to the bridge. "While I trust in your ability to guide, I do not trust in your fighting ability. I shall cross first and dispatch of any monsters on the other side. This close to the reactor, the fiends might be even stronger than you are capable of handling." Tifa scowled but stepped aside for Sephiroth to begin crossing first.

When Sephiroth was approximately a quarter of the way up the bridge, Tifa began to cross. Zack waited until Sephiroth was halfway before pushing Cloud on. The blond found himself putting a great deal of work into his arms. The bridge was steep enough it required both arms to support and help pull himself up. He guessed the climb was about five stories, but the bridge was not pulled taught. This caused the bridge to be more J shaped, with a gentle swoop down before a rather sudden and steep incline. The creaking of Zack's steps behind him soon became obvious, giving Cloud the urge to move off the bridge even faster. The steep incline posed a bit of a problem, however, as he realized that he was coming up on Tifa too quickly.

"The—the bridge!" one of the grunts yelled as the bridge began to rock and creak beneath them. Cloud snapped his head up, barely comprehending that Sephiroth had not yet reached the end. Snapping his head back, he saw that one grunt remained on the opposite bank while the other was a few feet onto the bridge. The rope suspending the bridge snapped on one side just behind Zack, causing the planks to fall from beneath everyone's feet. Cloud kept a death grip on both ropes as the other side snapped and sent them swinging into the cliff face. The force of the impact was great enough that Cloud's grip faltered. As he fell, he was vaguely aware of Tifa and Sephiroth falling above him. His impact with the ground caused him to black out.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"Cloud… Cloud! Cloud!" Sephiroth's voice called from somewhere in the distance. Cloud groaned as he shifted in the darkness. "Don't move, your head is bleeding," Sephiroth growled. The teen felt a firm grip on his shoulder before a wave of pain surged through his head, leg and arm. He groaned again in pain. "I need you to open your eyes, Cloud. Can you open them for me?"

Slowly, the blond forced his eyes open. The dim sun through the clouds sent another jolt of pain through his head. His vision was drastically unfocused. He assumed that the peach and silver blob hovering over him was Sephiroth. Then he realized that his helmet was off. Cloud began to jerk up, but met the resistance of Sephiroth's firm grip on his shoulder.

"Dammit! Do  _not_  move!" Sephiroth growled again. "You have serious injuries."

"What about Tifa?" Cloud forced out.

"She is unconscious. Zack is tending to her."

"How bad is she?"

"Not as bad as you. Now be quiet. You are losing a lot of blood from your head wound," Sephiroth directed. Cloud attempted to nod, but this only caused his already blurry vision to shake uncontrollably. I'm going to give you a swig of hi-potion. Swallow it. It should be enough to clot the bleeding."

Cloud waited for the bottle to be pressed against his lips, but was met with a pair of soft lips instead. At first he resisted, but Sephiroth's hand gripped his jaw and forced his mouth open. The sweet taste of the hi-potion started to flow into his mouth as Sephiroth engaged him in a gentle, open mouth kiss. As soon as the General moved back, Cloud closed his mouth and swallowed the liquid. Within seconds the frighteningly sharp pain in his head began to die away and his vision cleared minutely.

"Now, I'm going to set your broken bones. This  _will_  hurt. The hi-potion has started to heal them incorrectly," Sephiroth said, the pressure on his shoulder disappearing. Cloud wondered why Sephiroth had bothered giving him the hi-potion in the first place if it meant that his bones would have to be rebroken. Slowly, a new ache began throbbing in the shoulder that Sephiroth had just been pressing down on. He could feel Sephiroth's hands on his lower arm. The grip tightened as Sephiroth jerked his hands in opposite directions. Cloud screamed in pain as he felt his bone snap and move. Next the older man moved the bones back into the proper places and wrapped his arm with a bandage and a stick. He repeated this process on Cloud's leg.

"I'm going to sit you up now, alright?" Sephiroth said as he wedged his arm underneath Cloud's shoulder. Gently, the silveret lifted Cloud into a sitting position and moved him to lean against a rock face. Cloud felt a bottle being pushed into his hands. "Its an elixir. Drink it," Sephiroth instructed. The teen slowly lifted the bottle to his lips with the uninjured arm. He drank it slowly, and with each swallow he could feel the pain melting away. When he pulled the bottle from his lips and dropped his arm to his side, his vision was cleared and everything was as if he had never fallen.

"Do you still hurt anywhere?" Sephiroth asked tentatively. Cloud tensed when he realized how close the man was to his face.

"No everything feels fine now," Cloud replied as he began to tear at the bandages on his arm.

"Good. Rest for a few more moments while I check on Zack and Tifa." The General wandered away from Cloud's vision, leaving the boy to orient himself. Cloud looked at the ground around him, searching for his helmet. Pools of blood dotted the ground where he had landed and where Sephiroth had drug him to start treatment. A good deal of the blood was located on a patch of small, sharp rocks lining the edge of the path. Cloud felt his right side for where his injuries could have been, discovering a hole in the shoulder of his shirt. One of the rocks had pierced straight through, hence Sephiroth placing pressure there. There was probably a great deal of dirt in the back side of his shoulder where it had touched the ground, but this was no place to dig it out. Treatment for that would have to wait until he got back to the hotel that night.

Cloud spotted his helmet and crawled over to it. The inside was completely drenched in blood, the force of the impact strong enough to crack his skull despite the protection. The blond sighed as he reached for his supply bag. Sephiroth had already made use of the bandages from it, but the bag contained many other things that would prove useful for the journey. Cloud located his towel rag, which usually served the purpose of a normal towel for bathing on long missions in the wilderness. Carefully, he swabbed and patted as much blood from the inside as he could. When he was sure his hair would not be permanently dyed rust red from the helmet, he put it back on and stashed the towel back in his bag.

Slowly, Cloud rose to his feet and looked around for Zack and Sephiroth. He spotted the two about a hundred feet up the path. After grabbing his supply bag, Cloud jogged to them. Tifa was lying on the ground between the two, still unconscious. Zack propped her up as Sephiroth placed a bottle to her nose. Tifa's eyes snapped open at the smell. She moaned and attempted to move, but Zack stopped her.

"Marlboro muck'll do it every time," Zack said smiling. "Now don't move too much. You're pretty banged up. Don't worry though, we got a mega-potion for you. All you gotta do is drink it." Sephiroth pressed a blue bottle to Tifa's lips and tilted it as she drank. When she was finished she pushed Zack away and sat upright. After a moment she stood and began looking around to orient herself.

Cloud took this chance to get a better look at the trails as well, recognizing it as the lower path. This was the path that the horrid incident from years ago occurred on. The path was around five miles longer than the high one and weaved in and out of the mountain's cave system. Cloud wasn't as familiar with this portion of the trail as the parts leading up to it, but only because he never dared to cross the rope bridge on the low path again. This would be the only means of return for them later.

"We all survived, I see," Zack said, chipperly.

"No, we're missing two," Sephiroth corrected.

"No, only one. Only one of the others was on the bridge. The other is probably waiting on the other bank still," Tifa said, shaking her head.

"This may sound cruel, but we cannot look for him. If he did not land here, then he probably died on impact. The next ledge is over fifteen hundred feet below here," Sephiroth said. Cloud swallowed, realizing how close he had been to death. Though he imagined that had he not landed on the same ledge, Zack and Sephiroth's strange infatuation with him would have sent them searching for his dead body. "Right now we need to keep moving. Can we still get to the reactor from this path?"

"Yes," Tifa said looking around. "This is the low path that I was talking about earlier. We'll have to go through the caves in the mountain, but we'll make it soon. We're still about halfway up the mountain. It'll be maybe two hours from here."

"Right. Let's keep moving then," Sephiroth directed. Tifa nodded and head towards the nearby cave mouth. The cave walls were brightly colored with swirling pearly rainbow colored bands. Certain patches glowed in a rhythm similar to a heartbeat.

"What is this place?" Zack asked in awe, moving to touch one of the walls.

"It's a cave rich in mako energy," Sephiroth answered. "The lifestream is very strong in this area, and it has no doubt seeped into the rocks of this mountain and caused the coloration."

"It's practically a tourist attraction," Tifa said. "Or it used to be, anyway. My father remembers people coming to see the caves when he was a child. No one really comes here anymore now that ShinRa Corp moved out of the mansion and left us with just the reactor."

"I bet most of the people that came up here were bored Turks and SOLDIERs," Zack said.

"The scientists would have studied the rocks in here too," Sephiroth said. "Caves like these are not very common. Though, Cosmo Canyon is the most famous and studied place like this. The rock here is very similar to Cosmo Canyon's."

"You've been to Cosmo Canyon?" Tifa asked as she began up the high path.

"Only once, when I was very young. The scientists thought that I would be able to scare the religious people there into letting them erect a research facility. It did not work," Sephiroth explained.

"Ha! I'm surprised Hojo didn't cripple them to get his way," Zack said, laughing.

"Hojo was not interested in Cosmo Canyon. Hence why the company did not back the science department too strongly. It was the late Gast's field of interest."

"I see. That makes a hell of a lot more sense," Zack said. The group fell into silence once more as they continued up the trail. After wandering through the caves for forty minutes, the path led out of the cave and into a clearing. A hundred yards out was a glowing pond. Gases seemed to be bubbling from the bottom and haunting colored rock formations stemmed from its depth.

"What is that?" Zack asked, picking his pace up to investigate.

"It's a mako spring, a rare wonder of the world," Sephiroth answered, passing the ravenet. The General kneeled at the edge of the pool and ran his fingers across the surface. The green glowing liquid dripped from the tips of his leather gloves as he pulled it away. With a quick flick of his wrist, the silveret stood again.

"It's so beautiful," Tifa said, as she neared. She began to circle the pond, looking carefully at the ragged rock formations. After a few moments, she knelt down and stared into the depths of the pool. "If the reactor keeps sucking up the mako in this area, the spring will dry up…" she trailed off, her voice melancholy.

"Unfortunately," Sephiroth said, staring at the glowing tips of the rock formations. "Ah! Materia in its natural state. How rare."

"Eh? Really? Lemme see!" Zack said in excitement. The teen pushed at the General's back as Sephiroth pointed it out to him. "Man, I've never seen natural, raw materia before. Looks like a glowing rock."

"The only reason it looks different from what ShinRa produces is because those are manufactured to fit in uniform slots in weapons. Growth is designed to happen at controlled intervals. Natural materia can be any shape or size," Sephiroth explained.

"Oh. Right…" Zack said, not particularly interested in Sephiroth's explanation. Sephiroth narrowed his gaze at the boy before nudging him back into the path and away from the spring. Cloud saw this as a sign that they would begin moving again and closed in on to the spring. Zack grabbed Tifa's shoulder and directed her back to the path, where she started to lead Zack into the next cave system. Sephiroth stayed still, waiting for Cloud. The teen saw it as a good time to thank the man.

"Uhm, sir?" the blond asked when he was closer.

"Yes?" Sephiroth answered, turning to look at him.

"Thank you for earlier. If there's anything I can do to repay you for that elixir—"

"It's already paid for. Do not worry about it. Let's get moving."

"Yes, sir…" Cloud said. He felt a weight lift off his chest as he realized that Sephiroth would not be asking for anything sexual, or over the top, for saving him.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

After nearly two and a half hours after their fall, the party reached the reactor. Tifa ran ahead of the group, stopping just before the steps to the large, intimidating structure. Sephiroth made his way up next. He began climbing the stairs, wondering if the structure would answer the many questions he had about the changes in the area.

"I want to go in too!" Tifa called from behind him. Sephiroth stopped and turned to look at her.

This is a top-secret facility. Non-ShinRa personnel are not permitted," Sephiroth said before continuing up the steps.

"I'm sorry, you gotta stay out here," Zack said as he approached the stairs.

"Ugh! Just a peek?" Tifa whined as she attempted to get around Zack. The older teen shook his head and motion for Cloud.

"You watch over her and keep her safe, got it?" Zack commanded. Cloud nodded and got between the two other teens. The blond didn't dare utter a word in front of Tifa for fear that she'd recognize his voice. He pushed Tifa back, allowing Zack to climb the stairs to the reactor.

Sephiroth was waiting at the top of the stairs for Zack when he arrived and the two entered together. The General pushed open the sealed door and held it long enough for Zack to pass before releasing it. The whir of the reactors many gears and pistons was loud enough to cause moderate hearing damage in normal humans. As one of the older, less maintained reactors, it was less finished. It lacked secured walkways with safety rails and relied heavily on large pipes and ladders to get around. Sephiroth stepped out onto the pipe leading from entrance.

"Man, you'd think they'd at least make this thing repair guy friendly," Zack complained as he followed Sephiroth. The General only grunted in reply as he concentrated on the network of pipes and ladders to determine their way. After a few turns they reached a ladder and descended. It was almost a straight shot from the ladder to the platform to the reactor's core. Upon reaching the door, Sephiroth turned the release valve for the door that deflooded the most central part of the core. He stepped inside and was met with tanks and valves that were not pat of an ordinary reactor.

"So this is what these this look like on the inside…" Zack said as he squeezed past Sephiroth. The teen started to climb the stairs to inspect the top reaches of the room. Sephiroth soaked in the whole of the room before taking any further actions.

"Jenova?" he heard Zack mutter. The General's eyes snapped to the upper level where Zack was. He could tell the boy was mumbling something to himself, but the words fell on deaf ears as he realized that the sign above Zack's head read JENOVA. Zack managed to make eye contact with him, breaking the spell. Sephiroth shook his head and went to investigate the valves and pods on the lowest level. So what if his mother's name was here? He had other, more pressing matters to investigate before he could sate his personal curiosities.

"This valve is loose. It may be causing a leak that is affecting the plant and wildlife around here," Sephiroth said as he began to tighten the valve. He turned and walked up to the next level to look into one of the pods. What he saw shocked him. He quickly backed away from the pod and looked into another, then another on the next lower level.

"What's in there?" Zack asked, coming up behind Sephiroth. The silveret looked at the teen with a surprised and disturbed expression. The older simply stepped back and let Zack look into the pod for him self. "An M20? But how the hell did they get here?"

"You average SOLDIERs are humans infused with mako. You're enhanced, but you are still considered human, still ranked as a human in the class system," Sephiroth said, his features becoming dark.

"What does that have to do with them?" Zack asked, starting to worry about Sephiroth.

"It makes sense now. The M20s' existence."

"How? How does this explain anything?" Zack said, grabbing Sephiroth's arm. The older shook off the teen's grip.

"Those things have a much higher level of mako coursing through them. Exceptionally higher than you or any other normal SOLDIER," the silveret explained, looking at them wistfully before walking away from the pods.

"I still don't get what you're saying," Zack said, following Sephiroth.

"They are monsters created by the ShinRa scientist Hojo. Abominations spawned by mako."

"Are you saying those things used to be human? And what did you mean by 'average SOLDIER'?" Zack asked, trying to wrap his head around the new information. Suddenly the same whispering voices that assaulted Sephiroth's ears during the first fight with the M20s filled Sephiroth's head. He stumbled away from Zack and grabbed at his head. "Sephiroth?" Zack asked concerned, rushing to his side.

Sephiroth threw Zack away as the chorus of voices grew louder in his head. They were all speaking at once, each saying different things, but that one coherent line seemed to override the rest.  _COME_.

"C-could it be… that I… was created the same way?" Sephiroth spoke, barely able to hear himself over the voices. "Am I the same as these monsters?"

"No! You're not the same as them!" Zack called, though Sephiroth could barely hear him. The teen ran up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort the older man.

"I knew since I was young that I was different from everyone. But this? I never imagined… Am I even a human being?" Suddenly the chorus went silent. Sephiroth could feel the presence of another.

"No such luck. You are a monster," Genesis' voice rang clearly through the air, but Sephiroth could not tell if his old friend was just a phantom brought on by his sudden craze or not. Zack was blasted away with a fireball, snapping Sephiroth from his delusion. The silveret raised a barrier just in time to block a fireball headed towards him.

"Sephiroth, you were the greatest monster created by the Jenova project," Genesis called as he descended from the piping above the room. The Jenova project? He had never heard of such a thing in his entire life. Sure he was powerful and raised in a lab, but he did not think that he had been such a freak that it required a top-secret project to disguise the goals of the research.

"You're alive!" Zack exclaimed from the floor.

"Hmph, if you call this living," Genesis sneered back at the teen.

"What is the Jenova project?" Sephiroth questioned, ignoring the side banter.

"Jenova project was the name given to all of the experiments relating to the use of Jenova's cells," Genesis answered.

"My mother's… cells…"

"You've never even met your mother, have you? You've only been told her name. I can't imagine how you've pictured her up until now, but Jenova was excavated from a two-thousand year old rock layer. She's a monster." Sephiroth reeled back in shock, trying to absorb the information. Surely his mother couldn't be what Genesis had said. The man had to be lying. He could understand being pumped so full of mako that it left him teetering on the edge of human and monster, but for his mother to have been a monster?

"I need your help, Sephiroth," Genesis continued. "My body is continuing to degrade." Sephiroth attempted to ignore Genesis, certainly not in the mood to help him after what he had been told. "Class S1, Sephiroth!" Those words snapped his attention back to Genesis, the possible new meaning behind them stinging him. "Jenova project G gave birth to Angeal and other beings like myself. Project S used the remains of hundreds of failed project to create the perfect monster in the form of a human. This perfect being would be so great that the current class system would be inadequate for him. Hence, the class of S was created. Though many would like to think that it stands for 'Superior' or 'Super' it really stands for 'Sephiroth'. Failed projects were classified as high ranking monsters and the few that were able to retain their human traits past infancy were assigned the class of S2 or S3 respectively. But according to ShinRa records, you are the only S-class still alive today."

"What do you want with me?" Sephiroth asked, repulsed by Genesis' words. However much he wanted to deny them, they made the world around him a lot clearer. His and Angeal's betrayal, frequent check-ups, his childhood and the M20s were linked to this horrible revelation.

"Unlike us from Project G, your traits cannot be copied. Your genes cannot be diffused. You cannot degrade. Share your cells with me. With them, I can stop the degradation and you won't have to be the sole survivor of the Jenova Project," Genesis explained, moving towards Sephiroth. " _My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the Goddess._ " Genesis pulled a dumbapple from his coat and held it out to his childhood friend. Sephiroth stared into Genesis' eyes for a moment before looking up at the sign of his mother's name, his features growing even more dismal.

"Whether your words were lies to deceive me, or the truth I have been searching for all my life, it does not matter," Sephiroth spoke calmly. He knocked the apple from Genesis' hand and let it fall to the floor. Genesis' eyes widened as the meaning of Sephiroth's action soaked in. "You will rot." Sephiroth's voice was firm and unforgiving. He turned away from his former friend and exited the room. He had to find out if what Genesis had said was true, and the ShinRa manor would be the best place to start searching, despite already reaching the exit to the reactor, Sephiroth could still hear Genesis' words.

" _When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, the Goddess descends from the sky. Wings of light and dark spread afar. She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting."_

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

By the time Zack reached the exit of the reactor, both Sephiroth and Genesis were long gone. He had used his last hi-potion to recover from Genesis' attack, which had badly injured him in his side. When he pushed the exit open, he saw a flash of light and heard Tifa scream. A quick survey of the situation showed Cloud on the ground with smoke rising from his body and Tifa between Cloud's unconscious body and three Genesis clones. He ran down the stairs and engaged the copies in battle, quickly taking out the two in grunt uniforms. The third wasn't much more difficult and was dispatched within minutes. As soon as he was sure that they were all dead, he turned to Tifa and Cloud. The poor teen couldn't catch a break.

"He tried to protect me," Tifa said as she bent down to Cloud's body.

"I see. Do you think you can carry him back? I'll protect us from those goons and anything else on the way back," Zack said. Tifa nodded and placed Cloud's arm over her shoulder and stood. "Wow, you're stronger than you look," Zack exclaimed.

"I  _am_  studying martial arts, and I trek through these mountains often. I wouldn't get anywhere if I couldn't at least drag a body around." Zack laughed at her words, but felt the creeping sense of horror return quickly. They had to get back to the town so he could find Sephiroth.

"Right. Well I'm glad. Let's go." Tifa nodded and the two set off on the long path down the mountain.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More scenes and lines form the game. will be the last chapter to have this kinda stuff.

Cloud groaned as he shifted around. Slowly, he opened his eyes to see the familiar ceiling of the inn. He glanced around the room, spotting Zack on the bed next to him. The older looked depressed and exhausted. Cloud shifted his weight up onto one elbow, furrowing his eyebrows.

"How's Tifa?" the blond asked quietly. Zack snapped out of his thoughts and stared at Cloud.

"She's fine. She's resting up at home now, I'd guess," Zack said.

"If only I were a SOLDIER… then I might have actually come out of today without having to be rescued so much…" Cloud mused solemnly.

"Don't say that. Don't ever think that. SOLDIER's a den of monsters. You wouldn't last long there," Zack spat, remembering Angeal and all of the other horrors of ShinRa that he'd heard about. He was nothing but a guinea pig for the science department's never ending quest to create the perfect monster of war. Disgusting.

"I may not be the same class as you, but that doesn't mean that I couldn't handle the life of a SOLDIER. Pump mako into anyone's blood and they could do the things you do," Cloud snarled. Zack glared at the younger teen.

"That is not what I meant," Zack said, trying to keep calm. Cloud's words stung because he knew that they held a limited truth.

"Then what did you mean?" Cloud asked, frustrated.

"I meant that the whole social strata in the upper classes, and especially SOLDIER, is a whole other game. We're always wagging our asses or dicks around to build up alliances. Sure, for some people it could lead to demotion, but so much of it is between people of the same class. After Angeal left, I don't think there wasn't a friend I didn't sleep with. And before that? I still did little sexual favors here and there for my friends. Even Sephiroth has been known to have as many as eight active sex partners." Zack stood, too frustrated to sit. He grabbed the buster sword and swung it as he crossed the room.

"There's so much sex that we lose sight of what's really important. We get pumped full of mako, get sent on the most dangerous missions, are told who to fight, are expected to kill indiscriminately, come home to a world dominated by power struggles and ruled by men. The only ways to feel are to cum and get the shit beat out of us. And it's all just an escape!" Zack raised the buster sword high and aimed for the chest of drawers on the other side of the room. As he was about to swing, he forced himself to stop, and brought the broad side of the sword to his forehead like Angeal always did to calm himself. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "They're all oblivious to what they're really for…" Zack said once he'd regained control of his emotions.

"You're right. I would hate it there," Cloud murmured, as he pulled his knees to his chest and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that," Zack apologized, placing the buster sword against the table.

"It's fine," Cloud whispered. Silence fell between them, making Zack feel awkward. After a few long minutes, Cloud peeked over his arms at the ravenet. "Can you… help me get any dirt and rocks that healed in my back wounds out?" Cloud asked timidly. Zack's eyes widened in shock at the amount of trust he was getting from Cloud.

"Yeah, sure," the older said as he sat down on Cloud's bed. The younger began to undo his bandana and tossed it to the side. Next he discarded his armor and started working on the buttons on his shirt. Zack watched, feeling like some kind of pervert voyeur as Cloud slowly stripped himself of the bloody clothes. A light tint on pink began to color the blond's cheeks as he discarded his shirt and laid down on his stomach. Zack felt like he was getting ready have awkward virgin sex.

When Cloud looked like he was comfortable, Zack removed his gloves and brushed a hand along Cloud's back. He rested his hand on a patch of skin on his inner right shoulder, a few inches from Cloud's spinal chord. This area was not one protected by the shoulder armor, and Zack remembered Cloud being impaled on a sharp rock in this area. The horrid puncture healed with little scarring, but Zack could feel and see small rocks embedded in and under Cloud's skin.

"It's gonna hurt," Zack warned as he dug his nails into Cloud's flesh. Cloud hissed, but resisted flinching.

"Can't you use a knife or something?" Cloud grumbled. Zack almost smacked himself in the forehead.

"Uh… that would be the smart thing to do," Zack covered. He had just been too excited getting the chance to see Cloud's bare upper body that all reason left him. The ravenet climbed off the bed and rummaged through Cloud's discarded supply belt for a pocketknife. Once he'd retrieved the object, he settled himself over Cloud, stratling him without making body contact. He steadied the skin with his left hand as he began to dig out the rocks in the area he had already ripped open. Cloud's hissing and occasional moans clued him as to whether he was being too slow or rough. After pulling out five pinky nail sized rocks from Cloud's back and a few smaller ones, Zack felt unsafe to go on. If anymore were lodged in there, it should be taken care of by a true doctor.

"That's all I feel comfortable with getting out. Though I got out everything that I could see," Zack said as he got off the bed. Blood had gotten onto the bedspread and onto the floor. Cloud shifted slightly so he could look at Zack.

"Thanks, it was starting to hurt when I moved my shoulder. I could feel them…" Cloud said.

"Nah, it's not something worth thanking me for. I'm just helping out a comrade. Let me get you a potion," Zack said, a smile creeping onto his lips. After he handed Cloud the liquid medicine, he continued to speak. "You know, you really had Seph worried about you."

"He seemed pretty calm when he was fixing me up," Cloud said before chugging the potion down.

"He almost killed me. I landed on top of you, and that's why your arm and leg were broken. I managed to get myself far enough over that I didn't fall into the valley, but didn't do such a good job of missing you. Sephiroth was able to slow himself and land on his feet. He came running and whapped me on the head. He ordered me to go find Tifa and proceeded to treat you himself…"

"Where  _is_  Sephiroth?" Cloud asked, sitting up in the bed. Zack's eyes fell to the boy's chest, rested a moment on his nipples, then trailed down to his stomach, where the blond was still developing muscles. Quickly realizing what he was letting his mind wander to, he snapped his eyes back up to Cloud's, trying to process the question. The memories from earlier that day were starting to resurface.

"Seph's holed himself up in ShinRa manor…" Zack said, his voice becoming less cheerful. "At least according to Tifa, anyway. She asked around town when we got back."

"I see…" Cloud said, sinking into his own thoughts.

"You know, Tifa's pretty strong for a girl," Zack said, trying to change the topic.

"She always has been like that," Cloud said, offhandedly.

"You know her well?" Zack asked, his interest in Cloud's life before ShinRa growing.

"I guess you could say that. But not really anymore than the others in town."

"Do you have any grudges against her or something? The way you acted before climbing the mountain was like you did."

"Nothing like that. I just don't want her knowing I'm here."

"If you've got unfinished business with her, you shouldn't leave it hanging. Who knows when you'll get to see her next," Zack said. Cloud scowled and turned away.

"I don't really wanna talk about it," the blond said. Zack shook his head.

"Fine. Well, I'm turning in for tonight then," Zack decided. The mental and physical stress was starting to kick in. Cloud merely grunted in reply as Zack pulled back the covers on his bed and crawled in, only pausing to remove his boots.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Zack took a deep breath to mentally prepare himself before getting off his bed. He grabbed his buster sword and walked as quietly as he could out of the room. Despite being around ten in the morning, Cloud was still sleeping and Zack didn't want to disturb him. The younger teen had probably not gone to bed until very late at night, thinking about whatever he had been troubled over, and needed all the sleep he could get to recover from his injuries. The elixirs and potions were good for on the spot miracle healing, but they left the body considerably fatigued the next day if the wounds were fatal.

As he stepped outside, Zack took another deep breath. The air was as saturated with mako as Midgar's, which left Zack with a foreboding feeling. The last time he had been around a single reactor putting out this much mako into the air was just before the Gongaga reactor exploded a few years ago. At that point in his life he was already in the SOLDIER program, but they granted him leave to go home to help his family and clean up. Looking back on it, they had probably been so willing because he would be getting exposed to more mako. Zack shook his head, trying to break that train of thought. Sure the whole company was sick, but he couldn't say his experiences had been bad. He  _had_ met Cloud, Sephiroth, and Angeal. He had been too late to save Angeal, but he would do everything he could to pull Cloud and Sephiroth through this, whatever it was. With renewed resolve, Zack set out for the manor.

Halfway through town Zack's PHS rang. Puzzled, Zack pulled it from his pocket and brought it to his ear.

"Hello?" he asked, still wondering who would bother calling him when everyone he knew texted.

"Hell-loooooo~?" a cheerful voice rang from the other side.

"Aerith?" Zack said in surprise, though he remembered giving her his phone number.

"Ah, I finally got through!" the petite brunette cheered. "I've been trying all morning."

"Huh, must be bad reception. Though I did just step outside a moment ago. Maybe the building was blocking the signal," Zack said. He felt uncomfortable speaking out in the open, so he ducked under the water tower.

"I'm so glad I got through, I really wanted to hear your voice," Aerith said.

"You missed me that much?" Zack teased.

"You've been gone a long time. Reno says you haven't come back from your mission yet."

"You know Reno?" Zack asked skeptically. Well, she was a precious specimen for ShinRa.

"Not really, but he knows you. He spends a lot of time in the slums, though, for an A class," Aerith explained. "He comes to see me in the church sometimes. He really likes my flower garden." Just her flower garden? Zack had some doubts about Reno's intentions, but put those to the side.

"Anyway, I promise I'll come visit when I get back, I promise," Zack said trying to change the subject.

"Really? You promise?" Aerith chimed, elated by Zack's words.

"Yeah, promise," Zack said smiling. "But right now I gotta get back to work."

"Alright…" Aerith's voice became dimmer in disappointment. "Then I guess I'll let you get back to your work then."

"I'll see you later, Aerith, bye," Zack said.

"Goodbye," Aerith said, her voice still a bit melancholy. When his phone was back in his pocket, Zack let out a deep sigh. Stalling was fun and all, but he had to get to Sephiroth. He left the shade of the water tower and headed up the hill. The grunt that had survived the bridge collapse the day before was standing at the gates of ShinRa manor when he arrived. Together, they entered the manor grounds. The yard was overrun by mutated weeds and saplings, alluding to the fact that the manor had been deserted for a very long time. The path leading up to the doors was almost completely grown over, and if it weren't for the recent travel over it, Zack would have thought there had never been a path.

The front door was barely hanging on its hinges and the glass in its window was so dirty it couldn't be seen through. Zack pushed the door open carefully and stepped into the house. The floor creaked horribly under his feet. The reception hall was a grand, open room with a ceiling that extended to the second floor's. A grand staircase led to the second floor, there an open hall led to the east and west wings. Zack decided to search the ground floor first. He chose the doors on in front of him and found a music room in the west wing and a kitchen and dining room in the east. The piano in the music room was in no condition to play, and the room was covered in cobwebs and dust. The kitchen was similarly empty and unkempt. Zack ascended the stairs and investigated the west wing. The greenhouse, safe room and bedroom were all empty. The east wing contained nothing but bedrooms, but one room in the far corner had a suspicious break in the exposed brick wall.

"Could they get anymore obvious?" Zack murmured, shaking his head at how poorly the door was hidden. He turned to the grunt behind him. "You keep watch here while I go down and look."

The grunt saluted and Zack turned away. He pressed on and around the door until it slid back and to the side, revealing a rotting wooden spiral staircase. Carefully, Zack made his way down the staircase, not liking the way it groaned under his feet. When he reached the bottom he was presented with a long tunnel dug out of the earth and supported with wooden beams. At the end of the tunnel was a steel door, which was left cracked open. Light spilled from the room beyond. Cautiously, Zack pushed it open. Sephiroth was pacing the room with a book in hand, murmuring as he read.

"A life form in a state of suspended animation, excavated from a 2000 year-old stratum. Professor Gast named this life form Jenova… Date X/X/XX – Jenova verified as an ancient… Date X/X/XX – Jenova project approved," Sephiroth mumbled before turning and walking even deeper into what Zack now realized was a laboratory and library. Zack entered the room fully, but kept his distance from Sephiroth. He could tell that the General had been reading for a good while, by the few texts that were already scattered about the shelves and tables.

"My mother's name, Jenova… The Jenova Project… Could this be a coincidence?" Sephiroth asked, louder, distraught leaking into his voice. "Professor Gast, why didn't you tell me? Why did you die?" Sephiroth's voice sounded so beaten down at the revelation that everything Genesis had said was true that it scared Zack. It was the death of Angeal all over again. Sephiroth continued deeper into the library and stood beside the desk, where he continued to read from the document. Zack decided he would try talking Sephiroth into leaving the basement. He quickly closed the distance between them.

"Sephiroth, you ok?" he asked timidly. The older man ignored him. "Hey, you should come up and eat lunch with us. Cloud's doing just fine, and I'm sure you're hungry by now." Again Sephiroth did not answer. Zack reached his hand out and touched the silveret on the arm. "Seph?"

"I would like to be left alone," Sephiroth said, his voice dark. He shook off Zack's hand and turned to the bookcase. He selected another text and opened it. Zack didn't know what to do. Sephiroth could beat him in a struggle any day, so he couldn't force the man out, so he decided to let Sephiroth stew on his own for a while more. He would try again tomorrow.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud toed the hardwood floor of his mother's house, waiting for her to return to the table with soup. His mother had been making the same thing for him every night, but he didn't mind at all. She did her best at everything around the house and her soup was infinitely better than anything he was served at ShinRa. Just as his mother finished cleaning the bowls, a knock sounded at the door that sent Cloud into a panic. He looked at his mother, worry taking over his features. He did  _not_  want anyone from the village to know that he was here. Even more, it worried him that anyone was even coming to his mother's house. She was a social reject in the village. She gave him a reassuring look and motioned for him to stay put, as the kitchen table was not easily visible from the front door.

"Hello?" Ms. Strife asked tentatively as she cracked the door open and peeked out.

"Ms. Strife, are you ok?" Tifa's voice wafted from outside. Cloud cursed inwardly.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine, but I don't know why you would be concerned at all," Cloud's mother answered, appropriately perplexed.

"I saw a ShinRa guardsmen come into your back door about half an hour ago, and he never came out. I was worried since he's been coming every night for the last few days," Tifa explained.

"Your mind must be playing tricks on you. Why would one of them come to visit me?"

"I don't know, but I know what I saw! I know one of those ShinRa guys came in here," Tifa insisted. "If he's bugging you, I'll make him leave."

"Nonsense," Ms. Strife said, deciding to concede a little. "He isn't bugging me. He's just a poor low class citizen like myself and can't buy food where his colleagues do. I'm just feeding him dinner, there's no harm being done here." Cloud bit his lip, unconsciously edging away from the table to make a run for the rear exit.

"You're feeding him? I know you had a thing for ShinRa guys, but really…" Tifa said, her voice disapproving. After a second, her voice gained light and excitement. "It's Cloud! You have Cloud in there don't you!"

"Shh! Don't go getting over excited like that. He's not here," Ms. Strife asserted.

"You wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't Cloud. It has to be Cloud. It's the only way the whole situation makes any sense," Tifa persisted. Cloud sighed and resigned himself. He stood and swiftly walked to the front door. He grabbed Tifa's arm and yanked her into the house and swiftly slammed the door.

"I was trying not to be found out," Cloud said, frustration tinting his voice. Tifa's eyes brightened.

"I knew it. It was you. You were the one who protected me at the reactor, weren't you?"

"So what if I was? I was just doing my job," Cloud said, turning away from Tifa and the door. He walked over to his bed and sat down, digging his hand into his hair.

"Cloud, don't be so rude," his mother scolded. "It's been a long time since you two have seen each other."

"It's fine, Ms. Strife," Tifa said, looking at her. The teenage girl turned back to face Cloud and slowly walked towards him. "Why didn't you want anyone to know you were here?

"Because of everything in the past," Cloud said simply.

"You know, a lot of us have really grown since you left," Tifa said, trying to redeem her and her friends.

"Doesn't change the fact that I'll always be below you guys." Tifa stayed quiet, unable to refute his words. She bit her lips and averted her eyes to the ground in shame. "This place isn't a place that I really want to remember. I'm only here because I'm from here. ShinRa has a sick sense of humor."

"I'm sorry," Tifa said, keeping her gaze averted.

"For what?"

"For everything everyone put you through. I really hated seeing it happen. I tried my best to make it stop, but they never listened," Tifa explained.

"I don't think it would have mattered whether you told them or not. It's all the adults in the town that shaped their thinking."

"You seem even more serious than when you left."

"A lot's happened."

"Like what?"

"Don't wanna say."

"Do you remember what we talked about the night before you left Nibelheim?" Tifa asked.

"Vaguely," Cloud answered, turning his head to the side. His mother was watching them from the door with a worried expression.

"We used to be so close," Tifa murmured, looking at Cloud once more.

"That was just in your head," Cloud bit back coldly.

"I was really hoping that you would find some happiness at ShinRa," Tifa said, sighing. "I thought that there you would be able to increase your class and actually find some good friends like you wanted, but it seems like ShinRa's done nothing but make you worse."

"ShinRa may be a hellhole, but at least it's better than here," Cloud dead panned, glaring into Tifa's eyes. The girl reeled back slightly, not expecting such a strong reaction from him. She hated seeing him go through pain. If she could hug him and make him feel better, she would, but Cloud hated her too. She knew that he grouped her with the rest of the town, and it hurt.

"I think you should go now," Ms. Strife chimed from the door, cutting through the tension. Tifa turned to the woman, remembering her presence.

"Yeah, I probably should," she agreed. She glanced back at Cloud one more time before turning fully to leave.

"Please don't tell anyone else I'm here," Cloud called after her.

"Fine," Tifa replied, miffed. After Tifa exited the house, Ms. Strife ran over to her soup and tutted over it's burnt condition. Cloud cradled his head in both hand, hoping to heaven that Tifa didn't talk.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Zack placed a tray of food down on the desk in the library. Sephiroth was still absorbed in his reading, muttering the words from the documents every once in a while. Zack sighed, frustrated that Sephiroth was ignoring him and the food. The tray he had brought down the previous day lay half eaten on the other side of the desk. At least he knew Sephiroth was eating  _something_. It had been five days since Zack's first visit to the ShinRa Manor basement, and the General seemed to only be growing more hectic.

"Hey, Seph, you should take a break and get some exercise for a bit. It's not good for you to sit around like this all day," Zack pestered. Sephiroth paid him no attention and continued to read. Zack slammed his hands on the desk, attempting to break Sephiroth's concentration. The silveret stood and moved to the bookshelf, completely brushing the teen off. Zack growled and lurched at Sephiroth, planning to punch the man. Sephiroth caught the teen's fist and threw him back.

"Leave me," Sephiroth said sternly. Zack glared, wrinkling his nose. The teen eventually relented and grabbed the old tray. He wasn't a match for Sephiroth, so he would have to be patient if he wanted to get the General out of the library.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud felt as if he could just not catch a break. Not only had Sephiroth secluded himself in the manor, but Zack was irritable and Tifa just insisted on reinserting herself into his life. Tifa was currently sitting across the table from him in his mother's house, blabbering about the time he had been gone. Cloud wanted nothing more than to bash his head against the table.

"You're not interested in any of this are you?" Tifa asked, but Cloud didn't hear. "Cloud?" she called after a pause. "Cloud!" The blond snapped from his thoughts when Tifa's hand touched his arm. He shrunk away from her touch, causing Tifa to retract her hand rather quickly, a pained expression on her face.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" Cloud asked, trying to at least not upset her.

"It doesn't matter," Tifa replied, looking away from Cloud.

"All right, fine," Cloud grumbled. After a few minutes of complete silence, Tifa turned back to him.

"What's ShinRa like?" the brunette asked.

"A hell hole."

"I thought you said this place was a hell hole."

"Both are. But ShinRa's still better than here. But it's really no place for a woman," Cloud clarified.

"I don't ever plan on going there. But aren't there female Turks and isn't Scarlet the head of the military?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah, but they aren't grunts."

"I suppose you are right, but it's not like any woman would want to be subjected to those conditions anyway," Tifa sighed. "Do you get in a lot of fights?"

"Yeah," Cloud answered truthfully.

"Sounds just like you," Tifa said, smiling.

"I think you should go back home," Cloud said, turning away from the girl. Tifa sighed.

"I wish you would lower you guard around me more, Cloud," Tifa complained. She leaned across the table and pecked Cloud on the cheek before standing. "But you're right. It's getting late. Good night."

Cloud, slightly taken aback by the chaste kiss, watched as Tifa left. His mother wandered out of the sleeping area and hugged her son from behind. Cloud reached up and took her hands. He knew Tifa liked him. He had to have been stupid to not realize. However, Cloud was never in the position before to act on any feelings. He heaved a deep sigh and gripped his mother's hand tighter. Even now he was in no position to even think about romance. Physical contact was still incredibly distasteful, and Zack and Sephiroth were both persuing him on some level. Had he not had class stand in his way when he was younger, or the horrible events at ShinRa to scar him, he probably would have started dating Tifa. Her near confession the night before he left was enough to give him bittersweet feelings about leaving. He had promised to protect her from harm, but now he wasn't quite so sure he could protect anyone. Cloud worked very hard to keep what little dignity and pride he had.

Cloud leaned back into his mother's embrace and allowed her to cradle him. The feeling was warm and comforting, completely different from the feeling he still got from most physical contact. How he wished he could stay in such an embrace forever.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Zack slowly pushed the metal door to the lab open while balancing the tray of food in his hands. He was getting tired of the hoops he was running through for Sephiroth. In the last few weeks he had caught Sephiroth sleeping about three times, and he was eating less and less. Zack was worried for Sephiroth but the amount of stress it was putting on him was grinding him down. It was reminding him of Angeal's betrayal. Zack didn't know how much more of this insanity he could take. The ravenet pushed through the door and slowly approached the desk in the library. Quietly, he placed the tray down. Sephiroth was standing near the hall into the lab, absorbed in another file. Zack sighed and turned away, not even attempting to get Sephiroth to snap out of his stupor anymore. Suddenly, Sephiroth's deep voice filled the air.

"Do you know what you have done?" Zack turned to face the General again, his face crunched in concern.

"What?" Zack asked, genuinely confused by Sephiroth's words.

"Jenova is an Ancient, a fossil of the great race that has all but disappeared today! Today the only Ancients still in existence are test subjects for ShinRa's sick research," Sephiroth ranted, snapping the file shut and turning to Zack. Dark circles and sunken cheeks marred the once beyond-compare face. "But you would know all about that, wouldn't you. You're fucking more than one," Sephiroth said darkly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Zack exclaimed, immediately remembering Aerith and the night before he left Midgar.

"I was bred from the cells of Jenova, therefore I must be an Ancient as well. She has been calling to me, calling for her son to take revenge," Sephiroth rambled as he began to walk towards the lab.

"Take revenge for what?" Zack asked, quickly moving to follow Sephiroth. Something was horribly wrong with the older man.

"Two-thousand years ago humans began to choke the life out of the planet, taking it over like vermin. Can't you see? Those M-20s are sent by Mother to destroy you humans! Mutations of Mother's creation with the sole purpose of reclaiming the planet and finding Paradise!" Sephiroth began laughing hysterically. Zack was stunned by the transformation of the man. He was completely at a loss of what to do. Suddenly Sephiroth convulsed, his laughing cut short as he gripped his head in pain and collapsed to his knees in the hallway.

"Sephiroth?" Zack questioned, stepping closer. His stomach was sinking with dread. Sephiroth was beyond the point of just worrying over. Zack was honestly scared. In the next moment Sephiroth snapped around and pinned Zack to the bookshelf by the throat, the movement so quick that Zack was already chocking by the time he realized. Quickly, the teen began to struggle, grabbing Sephiroth's arms and digging his nails into the man's leather coat. Sephiroth didn't seem too serious about harming Zack, yet the man could easily snap the teen's neck in half, but the ravenet knew that could change any moment.

"Is there anyone worth saving?" Sephiroth asked, his dark expression melting into sadness. Zack felt the question wasn't directed at him, however. The silveret was now absorbed in the voices in his head. The older slowly pulled Zack away from the bookcase, only to slam the teen into it again, this time purposely hitting Zack's head on one of the shelves. Zack's vision blurred from the force of the impact combined with the lack of air reaching his lungs. As his vision started to black out, Sephiroth released him. Zack tried to regain himself to chase after the General, but by the time he was on his feet, Sephiroth was already out of sight. Zack cursed as he ran for the stairs.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Tifa could just not get the hint. Or perhaps she did and just refused to leave him alone. He had just finished an early supper with his mother and was getting ready to slink back to the hotel before Tifa arrived, but she caught him before he could even get to the back door. Cloud sighed as he slowly turned around to face her. Tifa slowly approached him, her hands clasped over her large, bouncing breasts. He wished she would wear more clothing.

"The townsfolk are getting restless because you guys haven't finished the business you came to do. I think your welcome is wearing out, but most people wouldn't even dare stand up to Zack," Tifa spoke. "How much longer until you'll be going away again?" If sadness had not been saturating Tifa's voice, Cloud would have felt like a nuisance.

"I don't know. After coming out of the reactor, Sephiroth hasn't left the ShinRa Manor. Zack won't tell me anything either," Cloud explained.

"Zack won't even tell you?" Tifa asked in doubt.

"No, he won't. Now I better get back before he gets back to the hotel," Cloud said. His days had been long over the last week. Zack turned to clearing away local monsters as a form of stress relief and dragged Cloud and the other grunt along everyday. Interacting with Tifa was pushing him beyond what he wanted to deal with.

"Wait, Cloud," Tifa called, scurrying over to him. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "I know I'm annoying you, and I know that you just want to leave, but can you at least let me do this properly?" Her voice was low, as she closed the distance between Cloud and her. The blond glanced over his shoulders at his mother. She was washing the dishes and looked aloof, but he knew she was eavesdropping. Tifa was speaking to him in hushed tones, however, so he doubted that they could be heard.

"I… I've liked you since we were little. I… I know it doesn't make up for the things I've done or let others do to you, and I know you don't want anything to do with us, but I still find myself drawn to you, Cloud. When you were younger, you were so headstrong. You didn't let anything get to you, and I found that so admirable. You were the only guy around here that I ever thought was worthy enough to be considered a man. Even now, I don't know what's happened to you since you left, but you're still the one I like most…" Tifa gushed quietly, standing only a few inches from Cloud's chest. Cloud felt his insides twist at the confession and clenched his eyes shut. If only everything had happened differently, if only the world was kinder. He didn't know how to handle her feelings when they were laid so bare to him. Just as he was about to voice a weak rejection the front door to the house was blown away.

Tifa and Ms. Strife screamed when they comprehended the blast. Cloud quickly pulled his eyes away from Tifa and towards the door. Unconsciously he grabbed Tifa and pulled her close, offering her a small amount of protection. He sent a glance in the direction of his mother to make sure she had ducked for cover, then returned his gaze on the door. When the smoke cleared, Sephiroth's outline became visible. The General slowly stepped into the house with heavy footsteps, Masamune in hand. Cloud dug his fingers in to Tifa's back as his eyes widened in fear and confusion.

"Come here, Cloud," Sephiroth said calmly, his face tired and apathetic.

"Why did you blow the door down?" Cloud asked skeptically, refusing to budge.

"Do you want revenge, Cloud?" Sephiroth continued, ignoring the question.

"Revenge for what?" Cloud felt apprehension towards the General's behavior and tried taking a step closer towards his mother. Something was wrong with Sephiroth, and he had to get to his mother to at least attempt protecting her.

"If you come to me now, I will make sure that your desires are fulfilled. Together we can take revenge and create a path to the Promised Land built from the blood of vermin," Sephiroth began to ramble.

"Why do you want to do this?" Cloud tried asking again, stepping closer to his mother again.

"Are these women so important to you?"

"Why does it matter?" Cloud yelled. He couldn't understand anything, and he could feel Tifa shaking in his arms. Sephiroth lifted his right hand to his forehead and began laughing, though it sounded anything but happy.

"Are you forsaking me, Cloud? Your General? Your saving grace? Your God?" Sephiroth asked after a few moments.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Mother said I should not bother with you, that you would be like this, but I thought she would be wrong. You are no different from these vermin are you? Then you too shall suffer and die." The next thing that hit Cloud's ears was the sound of blade on flesh, followed by a muffled gasp. Cloud's eyes widened in horror as he realized that Sephiroth was no longer in front of him. Slowly, Cloud turned his head to look at where his mother had been crouched. Sephiroth had sheathed his sword through the center of her back and into her leg. The silveret pulled up and flicked the woman off his sword into a heap on the ground.

"Mom!" Cloud screamed as he threw Tifa away and charged at Sephiroth. The General simply flicked his right wrist, and muttered a Firaga spell. The fireball hurled in Cloud's general direction, but missed and caught the whole house on fire. Within seconds Sephiroth had grabbed Cloud by the throat, chocking him until he was unconscious. The older man dropped him on the floor to burn in the flames. Tifa charged at him from the side, but he simply knocked her into a cabinet. Sephiroth's last hope in people died, and his mind was set. He would start exacting his revenge by destroying the town that bound his mother for so many years.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Zack scrambled up the spiral stairs from the basement and into the bedroom. He peaked through the windows as he sprinted as fast as he could through the manor, relieved that the town seemed in tact still. However, by the time Zack was out of the house and halfway down the trail into town, over half of the houses were in flames and bodies lined the streets. Zack began to panic when he reached the center of town. Where was Sephiroth? Was it more important to find Sephiroth or try to save people from their burning homes? A flaming man stumbled out from one of the nearby houses, screaming. Zack made up his mind then, as the man dropped to his knees and began flailing on the ground, to start rescuing people. Sephiroth could wait.

The teen turned towards Cloud's house, making the boy's mother his priority. However, before he could reach the doorway, Tifa emerged from the smoke dragging an unconscious Cloud. Zack continued his dash and relieved Tifa of the burden. He carried the younger teen into the center of town, laid him down, and shook him lightly to see if he could wake the boy. Cloud's eyes cracked open as he began taking deep breaths of the slightly cleaner air.

"Zack?" the blond mumbled. "What is going on?"

"Sephiroth's gone crazy, but that's not important right now. Are you alright?" Zack said, giving Cloud a once over. The younger's throat was red, leading Zack to guess what had happened before he arrived. Cloud nodded before pushing himself up. "Where's your mom?"

"Dead…" Cloud answered quietly.

"I'm sorry, but we need to look for survivors."

"Where's Tifa?" Cloud asked, realizing she was gone. Zack shrugged.

"I think she went to her house to try to save her family. She can take care of herself. Take those houses over there," Zack directed, pointing to the houses near the town entrance. "I'll check the hotel." Cloud nodded and ran to the nearest house in that direction. Zack turned on his heel and rushed to hotel. Upon entering, the gutted manager on the floor in front of the staff room was easily visible. Zack debated searching the back room, but decided to search the upper floors first. The building's support beams shifted above Zack's head and collapsed over the stairs, completely blocking his path upstairs. Zack cursed and turned back to the staff room. He was met with the site of more corpses. Zack shook his head and exited the hotel, just catching the roof completely caving in from the flames. Movement at the base of the mountain path caught Zack's eye, causing him to fully turn. The whole town, including the plants lining the paths, was in a raging inferno. Still, Zack was able to make out Sephiroth's figure in on the mountain path. For just a moment, Sephiroth turned back to face the teen, then continued up the path, obviously making for the reactor.

In a completely rash decision, Zack ran after Sephiroth, but soon realized he couldn't catch up with Sephiroth. Cloud and Tifa could handle the townsfolk, he was the only one with even a chance to stop Sephiroth. Zack made the journey as fast as he possibly could, not doubting that Sephiroth had been at the reactor for a prolonged period of time when he reached it himself. Upon entering the hissing structure, he ignored the catwalk and leaped from corner to corner, finally jumping down to the lower platform in front of the core. The outer door was already torn off its hinges, so Zack continued with caution. Carefully measuring his steps and keeping vigilance, Zack climbed the stairs to the top of the platform. The inner door was wide open, and Sephiroth was visible within, climbing a tube to come face to face with a human sized mechanical angel's body.

"Mother, let's take the planet back together. I've thought of a good plan," Sephiroth spoke. "Let's go to the Promised Land together." Zack couldn't let Sephiroth continue. The teen screamed out to him angrily.

"Why did you kill the villagers?" Zack asked, rage boiling from the needless death, worry welling up over his friends, and fear bubbling beneath it all.

"Mother, those people are here again," Sephiroth said, disregarding Zack all together. "With Mother's power and wisdom, she should have been the ruler of this planet. But those people who took everything from you… The planet was taken from you, wasn't it. But don't be sad anymore. Let's go together." Sephiroth reached for the metal angel's torso and ripped it from the cables connecting it to the rest of the reactor, revealing a large tube filled with mako. Inside was the white, glowing body of Jenova. The skin on her chest was marred, and her hands and feet were bound. Her white hair floated gently in the liquid mako, her face as youthful as Sephiroth's. A brain monitor facened on her head read "JENOVA" with a few other words etched in the metal beneath it. Zack's stomach lurched at the site of the woman. While her face held as much beauty as Sephiroth's the rest of her was a ghastly site.

"We finally meet!" Sephiroth called, spreading his arms wide. Zack took a few steps forward and drew the Buster Sword. He slowly positioned the blade by Sephiroth's throat.

"What are you doing? What has gotten into you?" Zack asked, anger and disgust roiling in his body. Sephiroth turned slightly to look at the teen, then lashed out. Masamune clang against the buster sword, the force enough to send Zack back down the tubing he'd climbed. "I trusted you!" Zack yelled, lunging for Sephiroth.

The silveret blocked and threw Zack back on to the metal floor. Zack took up a defensive position as Sephiroth charged him. Zack managed to block, locking himself into a stale mate. Sephiroth eventually tired of the power game and flung the buster sword to the side. The older charged and sliced into Zack's side, just inches from a vital spot. Zack regained himself as fast as he could, swinging the buster sword hard at Sephiroth, but the man blocked. The General once again threw off Zack's sword and struck the teen in the shoulder through a pressure point. Zack attempted to resist again, only for Sephiroth to strike him upside the head with the butt of his hilt. As the teen tried to recover, Sephiroth slashed his stomach open and threw him out of the chamber. The buster sword landed on the ground just outside the door, while Zack hit the stairs and slid down almost to the bottom.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

As Cloud exited one of the burning homes, he caught a glimpse of Zack running through the flames that engulfed the mountain trail. As far as Cloud could tell, most of Nibelheim's inhabitants were dead or dying, and that Zack was going off to do something more important than saving the townsfolk. Cloud decided to leave the town behind and head after Zack, even if he was much slower than the older teen. The blond moved as fast as he could, running off of adrenaline and rage. He reached the reactor faster than he ever thought he could normally, and charged in. Everything changed after Sephiroth entered the reactor, so it must have been the only place they could have gone. Cloud bulked at the entrance, not quite sure how to navigate his way safely around the reactor. Slowly, he stepped out onto the piping, and walked as far as it would take him. He spotted the platform with the open vault door below and climbed down the ladder that rested where the piping turned vertical. When he reached the platform, he proceeded with caution. Zack was laying limp on the stairs, his hand out stretched as if he was trying to drag himself up the stairs.

Cloud took a deep breath and climbed the stairs. Sephiroth had gone insane, killed his mother, destroyed his home and now Zack… He had to kill Sephiroth, or at least die trying to. Just outside the inner most chamber, Cloud picked up the fallen buster sword and carried it. He knew the sword was heavier than anything he had ever handled before, but he could barely feel it in his hands. He could see Sephiroth reaching out to the glass container. He flipped the sword towards the silveret and charged. He stabbed Sephiroth in his right side, completely puncturing his body and cracking the glass containing the floating body. Sephiroth gasped as Cloud twisted the sword and pulled it out. The General fell to his knees, blood smearing on the glass.

Cloud turned to attend to Zack, hoping that the wound he inflicted on Sephiroth was fatal. When he reached Zack, the older teen had opened his eyes again, and was trying to crawl up the stairs. Cloud bent down, trying to find where Zack was injured so he could attempt to stop the bleeding. The sound of shattering glass and slow, ragged footsteps alerted the younger teen to Sephiroth. He peeked over his shoulder to see the General hunched over, Masamune in his left hand and Jenova's head in the other.

"Kill him…" Zack mumbled, before passing out once more, this time from blood loss. Cloud grabbed the buster sword and charged at Sephiroth for a second time. Sephiroth blocked him, holding him in a stalemate for a few moments before flinging the smaller male into the inner chamber behind him. The blond crashed into the floor, unable to recover. Sephiroth limped back into the chamber and impaled Cloud on Masamune, puncturing him through the sternum. The older man slowly lifted Cloud up, until the boy was suspended two feet in the air.

"Don't get cocky," Sephiroth hissed. Cloud glared at the silveret, adrenaline and furry roaring back to life within him. He gripped the blade and pulled himself further into it, not caring that it only worsened his injuries. "I-impossible!" the older gasped as Cloud's feet touched the ground. Calling all of his strength, Cloud used Masamune as a lever to place Sephiroth in the same position he had been seconds before. With the last of his strength, the teen threw Sephiroth into the reactor wall. He heard a loud crack as the General's skull met the hard metal. Sephiroth fell to the floor unconscious, still gripping Jenova's head.

Cloud stumbled forward, unable to stop his world from shaking as he lost more blood. He no longer had the ability to pull Masamune from his chest, where it no doubt had sliced through some important blood vessel. He barely made it to the doorway to the main core before collapsing. So this was how he was going to die? He couldn't even be sure that Sephiroth would stay unconscious long enough to die of blood loss, but he knew that he couldn't get help from Zack or any doctor. He fell to his knees in the doorway and dragged himself so he could rest his back on the frame without aggravating the sword lodged in his chest. Soon, he too passed out.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Hojo wrinkled his nose as he stepped into the core chamber. The fools had made a mess of his precious mako chambers and specimens. A single report from Zack three days prior had set off alarms in the psychological and Science wards at ShinRa headquarters. Sephiroth's psychiatrist had started to panic because of how unstable Sephiroth seemed to be. Hojo, on the other hand feared more for the JENOVA Project as a whole. All he needed at this point was a scandal. ShinRa Company would not take his genetic experiments public exposure lightly. The Turks were sent in immediately, followed shortly after by medical teams. By the time the medical staff arrived, the town was already in flames. Many Turks worked to put out the flames, while others climbed the mountain to the reactor. Turks and doctors alike, quietly killed any survivors they stumbled upon. By the time Hojo arrived on the scene, the flames were under control. He was coptered as close to the reactor as possible.

The medical staff that followed the Turks to the reactor was attempting to save the lives of the men found within. The first body Hojo laid his eyes on was Zack's. The teen was receiving makeshift surgery to close his wounds. He was incredibly well known around ShinRa, and could be a useful puppet if he was allowed to recover. Hojo debated whether to use him as a test subject or to let him return to his normal post.

The scientist continued into the reactor, laying eyes on his son, who had been dragged out of Jenova's chamber. Hojo asked for a diagnosis, shocked and disturbed that his most prized creation could be left in this state. A concussion and damage to vital organs in his abdomen. He wondered if this was Zack's doing. Hojo stepped over Sephiroth and continued into Jenova's chamber. The third body was young, a grunt. This was the one that had been found in the chamber with Sephiroth. He was still alive, but barely. Masamune had been pulled from his body, but other than treatments to stop his bleeding, he remained untouched. This had to have been the boy that did such damage to his precious project. The old man crouched down to get a good look at the teen's face. His resemblance to the investigating Turk was remarkable. Hojo smiled to himself. He  _had_  to have this one as a specimen.

"Adle!" he called, his voice stern and annoyed. The blond Turk made his way over the bodies into the chamber.

"Yes, Hojo?" he asked coolly.

"What does this boy's file say?" Hojo asked.

"Class C, native of Nibelheim. No surviving family," Adle replied.

"He looks like you. He must be your bastard from when you were stationed here during Sephiroth's early development," Hojo mused. "He did this to Sephiroth. I want to experiment on him to see what makes him, a C class, able to defeat Sephiroth. May I use your son?" Adle looked at Cloud for a long moment before chuckling.

"Son? What son? Do what you want with a dead body. " Adle laughed.


	17. Chapter 17

"Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth, open your eyes. I know there's enough brainwave activity for you to be conscious."

" _Seph i roth._ "

The silveret slowly opened his eyes, the whiney voice of Hojo pulling him from the dark peace he had finally settled into. He looked at Hojo, trying to figure out why the man was anywhere near him.

"Good. I would expect no less from you. Though I am sourly disappointed in your current physical condition," Hojo prattled. The man pulled out a pocket light, shined it into Sephiroth's eyes, and began to slowly move it. "Follow the light. You know, your eyes have changed to a lovely shade of grey. Almost the same shade as your hair. I think we'll start you on Mako baths soon. The imbalance is no good for your healing wounds."

"Why are you here?" Sephiroth snarled, his voice coming out much weaker than he expected.

"Oh, so you don't remember? I suppose that is a good thing. If you did we would probably have to sedate you again. Last week you almost killed three nurses when you woke up," Hojo explained, his voice almost joyful.

"What are you talking about?" Sephiroth groaned, not understanding at all.

"Last month you had a psychotic break and burnt Nibelheim to the ground." Sephiroth took a deep breath as he tried to process the information. He remembered leaving the reactor after meeting Genesis, but the rest of the time was a blur or completely missing. Cloud. Where was Cloud? And Zack?

"Where is Zack Fair?" Sephiroth asked, not wanting to let Hojo on to any attachment to Cloud.

"Fair? He was next door until two weeks ago. His injuries were quite severe, but they moved him to the hospital ward when he showed significant improvement," Hojo explained.

"I'm in the lab?"

"Hospitals are for medicine. Labs are for chemicals. You cannot be treated with what they have. You are not normal. We treat you here."

"The grunts?"

"Dead. Along with all of Nibelheim."

"Dead?" Cloud was dead? Sephiroth took a slow, unsteady breath. He had murdered Cloud.

"Yes dead. Did that concussion make you stupid? Or do you want to see their graves and ashes?" Hojo spat, disgusted at how disoriented Sephiroth seemed at the situation.

"No, that won't be necessary. I want to speak to Zack."

"It will have to wait. There are several tests that we will have to run now that you are awake. This Nibelheim incident has caused so many problems," Hojo complained. The coot turned to look out the door of the exam room and barked, "Bring me the specimen!"

A younger scientist scurried into the room carrying a glass jar filled with some sort of preserved specimen. Sephiroth watched carefully as Hojo instructed his underling just inside the doorway. After a few moments, the man stepped up to Sephiroth's bed and rotated the jar so the General could have a clear view of the creature inside. It was the head of an M20. Its jaw hung open, leaving the disfigured teeth inside visible. As soon as Sephiroth made contact with the monster's pinpoint pupils, the screams and voices he heard during his first encounter with the monsters filled his ears. Quickly the silveret clenched his eyes shut and gripped his ears and hair. A searing pain flashed through his head as the voices began screaming louder. It was as if they were trying to tell him something, but he could not make out anything they were saying.

Suddenly, he felt a prick in his arm, then more pain as part of the skin and muscle in his forearm were scooped out. Sephiroth lashed out, smacking the scientist to the ground. A freshly inserted IV and syringe hung from his arm, half filled with blood.

"Secure the samples!" Hojo screamed. The scientist picked himself off the floor, his face bloodied and smashed. He stumbled back to Sephiroth's side and pulled the syringe before Sephiroth even processed grabbing it himself. He grabbed the Petri dish with the muscle and skin samples off the floor and scurried out. The scientist holding the preserved head quickly followed, leaving the General alone with Hojo. No sooner than the head disappeared out of sight, did the voices in Sephiroth's head disappear. Hojo hummed as if pleased by the sight.

"We will measure the mako levels in your blood and give you your first Mako bath after the readings. Someone will be by shortly to clean and wrap that hole in your arm. The psychiatrist will also be here soon," Hojo said as he turned to leave the room.

Sephiroth relaxed into the bed, letting his newly wounded arm hang over the side so as to not dirty the sheets even more. He began to take tally of his current situation. He was in the examination room normally used for Mako level tests on normal SOLDIERs, meaning there were four cameras pointed at him. He was naked except for a hospital gown. Zack was severely injured by his own hand and inaccessible. He left the Mako reactor in Nibelheim to do research in the ShinRa manor, blacked out, had a psychotic break, and destroyed Nibleheim. He had murdered Cloud, then finally fell into a deep, fitful sleep for a month. Too much of his memory was gone to make much sense of anything Hojo was claiming as true. Hojo would only tell him what was absolutely necessary, but his words were unreliable at best. It was highly possible that Hojo was trying to emotionally manipulate him for a sick experiment and was purposely separating him from Zack to further enforce the impact. Sephiroth decided to suspend any and all ideas on what happened until he could get confirmation from Zack.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"Did you see the way his pupils contracted?" Hojo exclaimed once he reached the room the samples had been taken to. He began laughing, elated by the scene he just saw. "Quickly! Slice the muscle and skin and put them on slides!"

"But, sir! My face—" the junior researcher tried to interject.

"I don't give a damn about your face! Wipe the blood off and shove some cotton up your nose. This is more important than your vanity!" Hojo barked as he moved across the lab to a desk. The scientist quickly moved towards the decontamination sink. Hojo just had to record the observations on the experiment. Everything so far seemed to confirm his hypotheses. After about twenty minutes of Hojo's scrawling, the assistant piped up.

"Sir, it looks like the cells are normal. There doesn't seem to be any deviation from how S cells normally look and behave."

"Take a sample of J-M286C and place it near the S cells," Hojo instructed, not looking up from his notes. The assistant rummaged through the sample cabinet for the correct specimen. As soon as he located the correct slide, he placed it next to the base of the microscope. He refocused on the S cells.

"They're acting strange!" the assistant called. "It's like they're trying to crawl out of the slide!" Hojo stood and pushed the junior researcher aside.

"Exactly as I hypothesized," Hojo said as he watched the cells convulse in unusual ways. "I have prepared a list of samples and materials to gather. We have many experiments to perform. And be careful handling the J cells! I do not have time to train a new assistant to replace you!"

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Zack groaned as he shifted in his hospital bed. Most of his injuries were healed, but Hojo had him confined to the hospital ward without visitation until further notice. A rotating shift of Turks was placed at the door and a camera sat in the far corner to catch any of his movements. In addition to the watchful eyes of Corporate ShinRa, he was attached to several monitors. If any of them were detached, an alarm would sound and nurses would swarm him. He was healthy enough to return to his apartment, but tangled wires prevented him from even turning fully to the side.

A soft knock on his door caught his attention. Adle stood in the doorway, face serious. The sight of the man made Zack's stomach churn. It was hard to not be reminded of Cloud when looking at the man. The clandestine glided up to the foot of Zack's bed and picked up his medical chart.

"What do you want?" Zack asked, not particularly enthused by the visit.

"Sephiroth is conscious," Adle said as he flipped through the pages on the clipboard.

"Since when?" Zack asked, sitting up fully.

"About two hours ago. He hasn't tried to kill anyone yet, so we're taking it as a good sign. With any luck you might get to see him soon," Adle explained.

"And when is soon?" Zack inquired.

"After you have been… informed on how to treat him."

"How to treat him?"

"He is in a very fragile state, and the slightest bit of information could set him off. It has been decided by the upper management that the finer details of the Nibelheim Incident will be classified. Anything that you saw in the reactor has been classified as AAA level. Anything that happened in Nibelheim is also classified as level AAA. You went to Nibelheim, rooted out the source of the monsters and returned to Midgar for a long deserved vacation."

"And why would that classification gag me?" Zack asked, enraged at the idea that ShinRa was going to cover up hundreds of deaths. Adle looked up from the clipboard, a grin spreading on his lips. A shiver ran down Zack's spine as their eyes met.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"We are discharging you," Hojo deadpanned as assistants bustled around Sephiroth to disconnect him from his monitors.

"I thought you had several tests to run," Sephiroth grumbled, slightly confused. It had been just over a week since he had woken up, and relatively few tests were preformed on him in that time.

"I've reached the limit of what I can study with you on your ass all day. Besides, the President is pressuring for you to go back to work. I can't risk losing my funding," Hojo ranted.

Sephiroth carefully stood once he was completely disconnected. It felt good to stand, but he could tell that it would take a bit of readjusting before he was back to normal. An assistant quickly handed him a set of clothes, most likely fetched from his apartment. Sephiroth dropped his gown and quickly dressed, not particularly caring that there were three others in the room with him. The clothes were some of the most casual in his closet—training pants and a tank top. He felt a bit awkward having to trek through the main building without his uniform because it had become such a part of his image. He did not care to let the others in ShinRa know about his state of weakness.

"Where is Fair?" he asked Hojo as he slipped into the pair of flip-flops provided him.

"He was discharged a week ago and has been confined to ShinRa headquarters. Other than that, I do not know. Find him yourself," Hojo grumbled, turning to leave the room. "You may go now."

Sephiroth glared at the scientist's back. Slowly, he made his way to the elevators and rode to Zack's residential floor. If Zack was still injured, he would most likely be staying in his apartment. Cissnei was standing guard at Zack's door. Sephiroth slowly approached the girl, who paid him little mind.

"Why does he have Turk escorts?" Sephiroth asked Cissnei, stopping next to her.

"I see they finally released you," Cissnei said, ignoring his question.

"Answer my question."

"I'm not privileged to that information. I'm just doing my job right now," Cissnei sighed, a sympathetic expression taking over her features. Sephiroth shook his head and knocked on the door. It was a few moments before Zack opened the door. Zack stared at him for a few seconds before moving aside to allow the older man in.

"I thought you had left me too," Zack whispered before ushering the General into his apartment. Sephiroth mentally flinched at the words, remembering Angeal. The mystery of Nibelheim's events and his possible actions weighed deeply on his mind, and he knew that he had to treat his relationship with Zack cautiously.

"What happened in Nibelheim?" Sephiroth asked, not caring to strain the atmosphere any longer by waiting.

"You went crazy and massacred the place," Zack said simply. "I couldn't stop you and I couldn't save anyone." Zack moved further into the apartment in an attempt to put more room between the men and Cissnei's ears.

"What about Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, stepping closer to Zack.

"He was in the reactor, but I passed out shortly after he got there. Adle says he's dead," Zack said, as he sunk onto his couch.

"Adle? Why should we believe him?"

"I saw the fucking pictures. Adle showed me the classified pictures of the destruction. He couldn't have been alive in that picture," Zack said, distress taking him over. The image of Cloud with half of Masamune's length sticking out through his back, precariously close to the blond's heart, stuck in his mind. Adle's wicked smile as he showed Zack the photos resurfaced as well, making his stomach churn at the horrid memories.

"So he's dead?" Sephiroth felt himself grow weak at the revelation. He crossed the room and sank down onto the other end of the couch. He had killed Cloud and his entire hometown.

"They're covering it all up. Everyone else that had anything to do with Nibelheim has been killed. Even if he had survived, they wouldn't spare a grunt like him," Zack said, taking a deep breath.

"Why am I still alive if I caused such destruction?" Sephiroth mused aloud, horrified at what he had done. "How am I even in my right mind right now?"

"They're probably studying you to figure out what the hell happened there. Something horrific went on at Nibelheim in the past. That lab in the manor was too well equipped, and had too much literature for a private residence. Hell, something bad's still going on there, I'm sure," Zack said, raising his hand to his forehead.

"We need to leave ShinRa," Sephiroth said, looking Zack in the eyes. "Genesis and Angeal were right to leave, though I don't agree with their methods. If what Genesis was saying in the reactor is true, that means that everything Hojo and Hollander have been working on is much more than we previously thought."

"I can't leave," Zack mumbled, sucking in a pained breath.

"Why not?" Sephiroth asked, unable to understand how Zack could stay at ShinRa knowing everything that was going on.

"Hojo has Aerith," Zack said after taking another deep breath. Sephiroth stared at the teen blankly, not fully grasping Zack's point. "She's pregnant."

Sephiroth sunk deeper into the couch trying to wrap his head around all of the information he was receiving. Over the last week he had regained some of his memories of the ShinRa manor. Jenova was an Ancient, he was bread from her cells. Aerith was the only other known ancient, even if she wasn't full blooded. She was his only kin.

"They've made a huge fanfare out of our return. They've been blasting about how successful we were at destroying a dangerous new bread of monsters. I have been raised to Class A2 and promoted to the position that Angeal used to hold. They've publicly announced that I'm getting married and have already started me on an increased mako regimen," Zack elaborated. Sephiroth slammed a fist onto the arm of the couch.

"They have put you in a position of power specifically to control you. And by controlling you, they hope to keep me in check," Sephiroth hissed. "They have Turks on you at all times so that if you do defect, they can act accordingly."

"I can't leave, but you can. I wasn't in your revenge plan to begin with, you don't need me by your side. Go find Genesis and—"

"I cannot do that. Genesis is no better than Hojo. I would be crawling from one sick laboratory to another. I will work to destroy ShinRa from the inside. We will use our political power to our advantage," Sephiroth devised as he stood.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Drip. Drip. Drip. Cloud could vaguely make out the sound of his blood slowly dripping to the floor along with the water the scientists used to clean their instruments. The overhead lights glared at him, leaving his already hazy vision a field of white. He could hardly describe the pain he had woken up to. His limbs were fastened tightly, not allowing for any movement. The slightest shift of his weight on the operation slab made tears well in his eyes. The scientists had left his chest cavity wide open, exposing all of his organs to the air. The procedure was done with minimal anesthesia, and the scientists performing the experiment had left him alone for well over an hour.

For the first three months that he had been at the research center he was left relatively alone. The scientists pumped his system full of elixirs and potions to encourage a full recovery. After evaluating every millimeter of his body, prodding deep enough to break any sense of privacy Cloud had, they started him on mild doses of mako. Everyday consisted of more examinations. Then Hojo arrived. Cloud's world turned from a living nightmare into hell on Gaia.

Hojo's experiments ranged from weaponless combat to vivisection after a dose of mako. Cloud was rarely conscious enough to comprehend the difference between days and weeks, and had no idea how long he had been at the mercy of Hojo's will. Cloud only knew that this was the third vivisection.

The slab jostled as scientists began to take their places around Cloud. The blond could hear Hojo's voice, but didn't possess the will to make out his orders. Slowly, the scientists took down the vivisection and stitched the teen's chest back together. Cloud groaned as the restraints were released and his head was lifted. One of the scientists pushed an elixir to Cloud's lips and forced him to drink. Two scientists hoisted him off the slab and drug him to a human sized capsule. After shoving Cloud inside, they rotated him to face the laboratory and strapped his waist to a stand that would help support him. Next, one scientist pulled a mask down from the top of the capsule and secured it over the teen's nose and mouth. The other disappeared to the other side of the capsule and began to pump oxygen through the mask.

The scientist in front closed the capsule and fastened several locks. Cloud could feel the air being sucked out through the top of his clear cage. Mako began to seep up from the base, slowly engulfing his murky vision in electric blue.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Hojo frowned at his specimen. The grunt had lapsed into mako poisoning. This new toy was interesting, but its ability to take damage and mako was far below what he had hoped after defeating Sephiroth. The specimen had been submerged in the mako for two weeks before it stopped responding to outside stimuli. After two months it was still breathing but had not woken up. The amount of mako it had absorbed by that point was quadruple the dose given to the average SOLDIER. Perhaps he had gone overboard. Hojo waved his assistant over.

"Take it out of the bath. Also ready a batch of the J-12 cells. I want to see if those will have any affect on him. With any luck it will start responding," Hojo said calmly.

"Are you planning to turn him into one of the White Besthos?" Hojo's top assistant asked as one of the lower ones scurried to remove the specimen from the mako tank.

"Don't be stupid. Why would I waste a half decent specimen on creating another one of those failures?" Hojo spat. "Up until now we have been studying the affects of mako on beings infected with J cells. Why would I repeat that experiment again, if I damn well know the result? Sephiroth and Zack killed most of the White Besthos, but I still was able to collect enough specimens."

"Then you're saying we shall study the effects of J cells on a being already saturated in mako?" the assistant asked.

"We've already done numerous tests on him to see how pure mako affected his body. The results were poor. I want to know what will happen to him if we inject him with Jenova. Will he reject the cells? Will he turn into a monster? Until now, we have always administered J cells into our subjects before or with mako. I think this will be an interesting experiment," Hojo mused, a wicked smile appearing on his lips.

The assistant dragged the limp specimen's body to the observation table. After securing the blond with the numerous restraints, he headed to the cabinet that contained the J cells. Hojo approached the table and walked around the specimen, carefully observing the body. It was obvious that it was suffering from extreme mako poisoning. Its fingers and toes had started to crystallize into materia. Its flesh, hair and muscle hadn't wasted away, but had grown thicker and more translucent. The specimen's skin was a ghostly white with a pale mako green glow under its surface. Normally dark blue veins glowed eerily. Its breathing was slow and shallow, mimicking a comatose state. Hojo paused a moment to open one of the specimen's eyes. The iris radiated the same colors that SOLDIER's did, it's pupil contracting and expanding as if trying to focus. Hojo had earlier surmised that the state was similar to a coma, but that the brain's level of activity was far greater. If the specimen wasn't responding to the outside stimuli that he had been providing, then it was likely that it was responding to the Lifestream.

"How much do you want me to inject, sir?" the lesser assistant asked upon his return.

"Prepare 250 milliliter's worth of J-12 solution for injection," Hojo instructed, moving away from the body.

"250 milliliters!" the top assistant gasped. "We usually only inject 10 to 20 milliliters!"

"250 milliliters is approximately the amount that was given to Angeal and Genesis. Some of the White Besthos and other specimens received even more. 250 milliliters will be adequate," Hojo snarled. The lesser assistant returned with two large syringes. "Give them to me," the scientist barked. The assistant quickly handed the items over and backed away from the body. Hojo once again approached the specimen. He carefully touched its arm and located the major vein in the grunt's elbow. Hojo pressed into the skin to see if it would be soft enough to penetrate with the needle. Deciding that the flesh was supple enough, he inserted the needle slowly.

"Start a timer. I want to know exactly how long it takes him to react to the cells," Hojo barked. The assistant hurriedly started the laboratory's clock and signaled his boss. Hojo began to inject the cells slowly, and repeated the process with the other syringe. When both were empty, Hojo stepped away from the body and headed towards his desk. He would start his notes as he waited.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud had been floating in glowing light teal for as long as he was willing to remember. The feeling was pleasant, as if he had no body to speak of. He could hear anything and everything—voices conversing quietly, singing birds, the cars in Midgar, children playing on the beach, the exotic music of Wutai. Sometimes he could hear his mother whispering to him that she was proud of him, that he did the right thing, that he had to hold on just a little longer. Other times he could hear Sephiroth's or Zack's grief stricken voice asking for forgiveness. The thought of Sephiroth or Zack emotionally distressed was strange, but he didn't let the thought weigh on his mind. He felt free and at peace in the glow. All his pain and suffering felt so far away, like a distant dream. He didn't want to leave the warmth of the blue-green glow.

"Come here, boy," a voice called barely louder than the noises of the world. "Come here. Come to me," it continued to call, getting louder with each beckoning.

"Who are you?" Cloud asked.

"I will make you strong. I will set you free from this prison," he could tell now that it was the voice of a woman, soothing and motherly.

"This is a prison?" Cloud asked the voice, confused.

"You will never be able to truly rest as long as you can hear the world. You will be stuck in this restless prison forever," she explained.

"Here feels so good," Cloud protested.

"I will snuff out these sounds, this light and you can sleep peacefully. Nothing will wake you, nothing will harm you. You will be able to finally rest peacefully," she continued.

"How would you do that?"

"Open yourself to me. Give yourself to me, child," she cooed lovingly. "I will take care of you, give you strength, give you eternal rest." Her voice was soothing, lulling, tempting.

"Why would you do this for me?" Cloud asked, confused by her words.

"Because I love you, like a son," she responded, her voice wrapping around Cloud like a warm blanket. "Become one with me," she cooed. Cloud felt himself melting into her words and voice.

"Hang in there!" his mother's voice suddenly pierced through him. "Hold on, Cloud. You must hold on! You're already strong. We're all here beside you. It's not your time to rest. You have to hold on just a little more."

"Become one with me," the voice said again, slightly more forcefully.

"Mom…" Cloud called out. "Why do I have to hold on? What do I have to do?"

"You need to wake up," his mother said, her voice warm but concerned.

"Become one with me," the voice repeated.

"Why?" Cloud asked, as he began to regain a sense of his surroundings.

"Cloud, it's time to wake up," his mother said once more. He was suddenly staring at the ceiling of the lab, pain ripping through his entire body. A terrifying scream erupted from his lips as he felt his muscles being torn apart. The pleasing noises of the world had been replaced with just one thing:

"Become one." The voice repeated it over and over, in a frighteningly harsh voice, a chorus of monstrous voices backing her up.

He was back in hell.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Thirty minutes after Hojo settled into his desk within the library, a deafening scream sounded through the lab. He scrunched his nose at the retched sound, but pushed back from the desk to observe the specimen's reaction. He could see from the library that the specimen was writhing in the restraints. He quickened his steps, and hollered for the specimen's condition.

"His heart rate and blood pressure are through the roof!" the top assistant yelled, trying to be heard over the scream. "His temperature has shot up dramatically as well!"

Hojo stopped in front of the grunt, watching as its muscles twitched and spasmed. Its natural flesh color was returning. After a few minutes, it was as if the boy hadn't spent more than an hour in the mako bath. The only sign that he even had mako in his system was the glow in his eyes. The J-cells were reproducing and taking over the specimen faster than he had ever imagined them to be able to. Jenova's remarkable regeneration ability seemed to be amplified ten fold under the influence of the copious amounts of mako in the specimen's system. It was healing as if it had been dunked into an elixir bath.

The specimen suddenly tore the arm restraints away from the table and began tearing at its body. The scratches healed closed almost as quickly as they were formed. The writhing caused the table to fall, leaving the specimen half attached to the table and half on the floor. Some of the assistants moved to right the table, but Hojo motioned for them to hold their ground. He wasn't interested in seeing if the specimen could rip human to pieces at the moment. The grunt began to bangs its head on the floor, still screaming. It's voice cracked from the strain shortly before Hojo heard the sickening crack of the specimen's skull breaking on the concrete floor. It stopped screaming, breath heavy and labored. The grunt started kicking the table, denting it deeply before managing to break his legs free. It huddled into a ball on the floor, blood matting into its golden hair.

It began beating its fists on the floor, then shot into a sitting position as it screamed, "Shut up!" over and over. The grunt began to claw at its head and back before crippling over again, whimpering "Stop it!". Its back began to spasm, and slowing the skin on the left side began to rise and tear. Slowly a black, bat-like wing emerged, fragile and shinning with blood. All the tension in the specimen's body disappeared as it sunk deeper into its fetal position. The wing lowered itself and lay stretched out on the ground. Hojo snapped at one of the assistants to approach the specimen. The assistant moved toward the grunt cautiously and leaned down to touch the boy. He screamed as the specimen stabbed its fingers through his foot and clawed through it, removing several of his toes. The assistant fell to the floor and scurried backwards before it could grab him again.

"Give it a tranquilizer and chain it to the wall in the activity room," Hojo barked as he turned around to return to the library.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"I would like to introduce Project C," Hojo said as he pointed to a pixilated slide of Cloud hunched over while chained to the wall of activity room in the Nibelheim laboratory. Rufus' brows knit together as he attempted to make out the details of the boy in the picture. The big shots in ShinRa seemed unfazed by the picture.

"Is this the project that you've spent three years dabbling in?" President ShinRa asked, leaning forward in his chair. He squinted at the screen, distaste on his lips. "Looks completely worthless."

"On the contrary, it has been the source of a plethora of valuable discoveries. It has been an incredibly useful aide in learning about mako and Jenova. In fact, my experiments have led me to believe that I can create a new super SOLIDER on the levels of Sephiroth," Hojo explained.

"Then please go on," President ShinRa urged reluctantly.

"This is the grunt that managed to subdue Sephiroth during the Nibelheim Incident. After a three-month period of recuperation I proceeded with the approved mako testing. The response of his muscles and internal organs to the mako was standard. I submerged him in a mako bath for three months, and he suffered severe mako poisoning," Hojo explained as he flipped through a slide show demonstrating each phase of the experiments. Rufus frowned as he realized the identity of the subject.

"As you can see by the pictures, it was beginning to turn into materia. I decided to inject him with a sample of the J-cell virus. In the span of one hour, the cells completely reversed the poisoning and strengthened the specimen's body. The end result is a being similar to Genesis and Angeal, but without the mutated replication ability. Instead of being able to create clones, Project C has an incredible capacity to regenerate. Please observe this video taken about one month after it received the Jenova cells," Hojo continued. He clicked to the next slide and a video began to play.

Assistants approached the chained specimen and ripped its wing from it's back and then proceeded to whip it. It cried in pain before lashing out and breaking through one of the chains. A new wig tore through its back and its wounds began to heal. The board members gasped at the video.

"The J-cells feed off of the mako in the specimen's body, making it essential that the mako is replaced at least every year in the form of a mako bath. However, the power of this specimen rivals Genesis and Angeal. The make-up of its body and upkeep procedures more resemble Sephiroth. Project C has been classed as S-3 based on its performance in battle. I believe a small class of these super SOLDIERs would be advantageous for ShinRa's plans," Hojo finished.

"When can we see this specimen on the battlefield?" President ShinRa asked.

"Unfortunately, due to how we obtained this specimen, we cannot let it rejoin the ranks of ShinRa or ever release it on the battlefield. It would greatly upset the already mentally strained Sephiroth. It is also too mentally unstable to prove a good weapon to us at the moment, due to the strenuous nature of the experiments up to date. We can keep the specimen in storage for as long as we need to replicate results, but I recommend destroying Project C as soon as possible," Hojo answered.

"Then how would you go about producing these 'super SOLDIERs'?" Rufus mused. "If the procedures are too rough to allow us to use that specimen, wouldn't it endanger any further subjects that undergo the treatments?"

"Project C is unusable because it was created in a lab environment and treated like the subhuman it is. In order to achieve the optimal results, I would advise taking orphan children that pass the psychological exam from the slums and raising them in a special sect of the SOLDIER program. By injecting them with large amounts of mako and subjecting them to several mako baths, we will prep their bodies for the J-cell injection. By raising the next generation as cherished members of ShinRa, we will have loyal super SOLDIERs, much like the current SOLDIERs under ShinRa's wings," Hojo explained.

"I'm willing to give this project a try, Hojo. How long do you anticipate it will take to create the first unit?" President ShinRa enquired.

"If we select boys around the age of eight to ten, then I would say that we would have them trained and ready for the injection by the time they are of age to become full fledged SOLDIERs."

"I will give you permission to carry it out on three trial subjects," President ShinRa directed. Rufus frowned, not liking the idea of increasing ShinRa's military might even more.

"May I suggest that we have the boys trained specifically by Zack Fair?" Heidegger, the new director of SOLDIER asked. "He hasn't been mentoring as much since Nibelheim, but I'm sure his skills would be a good influence on them."

"That may be so, but he is still rather suspicious. I fear that we don't have a good grip on him," the President said.

"Then how about this?" Scarlet spoke up, "We do not inform Fair of the full circumstances around the boys that he will train. We simply tell him that we are trying a new method of mako injection routines for creating SOLDIERs. If anything goes wrong, he will be responsible to put the boys out of their misery."

"That seems fair. Then move along with the plans. Tseng, organize a team to select the boys," ShinRa directed. "This concludes today's meeting." The various executives dispersed back to their offices. Rufus followed Tseng to the elevator, intending to take part in creating the search team.

"I don't like this at all," he said once the doors were closed. "Not one bit."

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"The specimen really creeps me out…" one of the assistants said as he passed by the mako tank.

"Tell me about it. Since it got J-cells it doesn't sleep much when it's in the tank. I hate how its eyes always follow me around," another replied.

Cloud could hear their voices muffled through the tank glass. He hated it in the tank, in the lab. He hated the assistants, Hojo, and ShinRa. Since the day he woke from the mako poisoning, that voice stayed small in the back of his head, whispering to escape, to kill them all and reunite. She was telling him to create a reunion. Hojo was gone, and the assistants were off guard. Now was the right time to escape. Cloud yanked his arm forward, breaking the steel chain that bound him in the tank. Slowly, he placed his hand against the glass and began to gouge the glass with his long, unkempt nails. When the assistants failed to notice his actions, he made a fist and punched the weakened glass, shattering it.


	18. Chapter 18

After Cloud had broken free from the tank, he killed the two assistants and stripped them of their unsoiled clothes. The blond didn't bother putting the clothes on, and walked naked through the manor in search of supplies to make his escape easier. After finding a bag, a SOLIDER uniform, an infantryman uniform, a knife and a paltry amount of food he left the manor dressed as a SOLIDER. The uniform was most likely one of Zack's old ones, left over from their mission three years ago, but the fit wasn't terrible. Cloud's muscles had grown significantly since he had received the J-cells—a byproduct of both Jenova's power and the immense amount of fighting that Hojo had made him do. Cloud had also shot up another two inches, making the clothes fit slightly better. The scar from Masamune stood out prominently when his chest was bare, but it was easily covered by Zack's uniform. He had a few scars from the vivisections and injections he received before the J-cells, but they were fainter and easier to conceal.

As he stepped into the dark forest around the manor, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. What little he could see of Nibelheim was exactly as it was before the inferno, but he knew that it was entirely fake. Jenova was calling to him from the reactor, so he decided to brave the mountain. He followed the animal trails to the base of the dying mountain and climbed the side paths. He figured he had until morning to retrieve Jenova's body and make a run further into the mountains. It took him considerably less time to climb the mountain with his enhanced abilities, but it didn't make the trek much less dangerous.

He climbed the stairs to the reactor and pushed the door open. Carefully, he made his way through the dimly lit passage ways and down to the inner chamber. The capsules that had once housed the mutant M20s—the White Besthos as Hojo had named them—were all empty. There were blood stains on the stairs from where Zack had collapsed in a bloody beaten heap. Cloud could still see the man's body as if it were still there. He climbed the stairs and pushed open the final door to Jenova's chamber. Several bloodstains dotted the floor, an especially large one where Cloud had collapsed three years ago. Cloud grimaced, remembering the pain in his chest. He lifted his gaze to the broken tank that contained Jevona, only to find that her body was completely missing. He scrambled up the tubes, careful not to slip into the reactor. Amongst the broken glass inside the tube, only Jenova's head remained. Carefully, Cloud picked up the head, whispers filling his head once more to start a reunion.

The blond placed the head into his bag, wrapping it in one of the pants he had stolen from the scientists. Jenova was whispering for him to head east, but Cloud decided to head north to Rocket town and then west, across the sea to Wutai. The Wutai resistance would still be strong, and he was sure to find many allies. He didn't care about what Jenova wanted. All that was on his mind was destroying ShinRa. When he reached rocket town, he could buy a proper case for Jenova's head, and hopefully quiet her annoying voice some.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

SHINRA MANOR SPECIMEN ESCAPED.

Tseng placed the memo down on his desk, formulating his first course of action. Rufus had been pushing him to work behind the President's back on a grand number of assignments in the last three years. The memo had graced his desk before Rufus' or the President's by the good graces of Adle, who was still the primary Turk in charge of the ShinRa manor. Despite the fact that Tseng did not care for the man's continued involvement in the region, it was easy to keep an eye on both Adle and Hojo that way. Deciding to consult Rufus on the matter, Tseng picked up the receiver of his phone and dialed Rufus' PHS.

"What is it, Tseng? I'm in the middle of an inspection," Rufus asked, mildly irritated. Tseng ignored the Vice President's tone of voice, knowing full well that the man was more annoyed at having to tour the newly built Youth Enrichment Center than the call.

"It's come to my attention that one of Hojo's specimens has escaped in the mountains. What course of action would you like me to take?" Tseng asked. Rufus paused for a moment before speaking up again, his voice even more annoyed.

"Find it and detain it. Don't let Heidegger shoot it to bits. We've invested too much money in that piece of shit to let that idiot shoot it up," Rufus hissed.

"I'll send out the best agents, then," Tseng replied.

"Call me if anything happens," Rufus said, more calmly. The vice-president hung up, leaving Tseng to formulate the best possible group to send. He pressed the call buttons for Reno, Rude and Cissnei. When the three assembled in his office, he pulled up a map of the Nibelheim region.

"A specimen has escaped from the ShinRa manor. It is highly likely that it is the same specimen that is involved in Project C. Adle has informed me of the escape first, but I am obligated to tell the President. I want you three to canvas the mountains and find the specimen before Heidegger gets the chance to do something stupid. If it is Project C's specimen, detain it in a cave until further notice. I'm sure you will be able to reason with it," Tseng explained.

"And what does Project C's specimen look like?" Cissnei questioned. Tseng frowned as he pulled up a photo of Cloud chained in the Manor lab. The three grimaced at the picture. "The poor boy…"

"I knew he wasn't dead, yo…" Reno said, clenching his fists in rage.

"Be prepared to leave in an hour. The sooner you leave the better," Tseng directed. "You're dismissed." Rude and Cissnei exited the office, but Reno stayed firmly rooted to his spot, staring at the photo of Cloud. Tseng flicked off the holoscreen but the red head stayed in place.

"Why didn't you tell me he was alive?" Reno asked, his voice angry and hurt.

"It was highly classified information limited to top officials and those directly involved in Nibelheim," Tseng explained calmly.

"Not involved? The fuck I'm not involved!" Reno yelled as he hurled himself at Tseng's desk. He grabbed his boss by the shirt collar and lifted him so their faces were close. "He's like my baby brother, yo! I deserved to know!"

"You were better off not knowing," Tseng said calmly, staring Reno in the eyes.

"Like hell I was! I finally come to terms with him being dead, and I find out he's been with fuckin' Hojo? That I might have to watch him die in front of my eyes? The  _hell_  is that good for me! How is that good for me?" Reno screamed, throwing the man back into his seat. Tseng stood and grabbed the red head by the chin and pulled him closer.

"I didn't tell you so that for the last two-and-a-half years you could focus on me, on us, on your job. If you knew he was in Hojo's lab, you would have tried to break him out," Tseng said, annoyance seeping into his voice. He pressed his lips gently to Reno's, but the red head pushed him away as best he could.

"You did it for us? Bullshit, yo. You did it for yourself, yo," Reno spat, disgust taking over his features. Tseng released the young man's chin and stepped back.

"Complain all you want, but you're in a much better position to help him now than you would be had you run off to save him. You would never have been able to come back. Your world would have crumbled at your feet," Tseng said sternly.

"I've lived the life of an F before, I can do it again," Reno spat. At those words, Tseng slapped the redhead, leaving the boy shocked. Reno couldn't bring himself to turn his gaze back to his boss.

"You would abandon everything you have to save one grunt? I'm not just talking about your position, Reno, but your family. You've been with us since you were fourteen. We may not always work in the President's favor, but I wouldn't be able to let you escape. You would be a fugitive for life. You could never see any of us again. At least this way, you have a home to crawl back to," Tseng spat, disgusted with Reno's attitude. The redhead remained quiet, soaking up the scolding. "You are important to the Turks. You are important to me. Forgive me if I'm  _selfish_  enough to worry about your wellbeing."

Reno clenched his fists and choked back tears. His emotions were overwhelming him, and he wasn't thinking straight at all. Tseng was tempted to round his desk and take the redhead into his arms, but thought against it. While their relations had grown more stable and deep over the last three years, Reno was in no emotional condition for Tseng's comfort. Reno kicked his superior's desk before releasing a shaky sigh.

"Get your head together and prepare to leave. Stop dwelling on the past and go help him now. I'll deal with your insubordination when you get back," Tseng directed, his voice less forceful. Reno stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Rufus hated fluffy publicity displays. His main agenda for the day was to travel around Midgar and "inspect" new centers built by ShinRa to enrich the lives of B class citizens on the Plate and to see the progress of the ones still under construction. It was daunting and boring, and he had to fake genuine interest in the subject matter. His tour of the new Youth Center, a facility designed for students to study and partake in sports, was just ending when he received the call from Tseng. Cloud's break had the perfect timing. If the Turks managed to recover the teen, he would have the ultimate ace up his sleeve.

"Sir, it's time to head to the car," his Turk bodyguard informed him. Rufus nodded and followed the Turk outside the Youth Center. As they walked down the steps to the street, a young boy bounded up the stairs, stumbled on one of the steps and knocked into the Turk. This knocked over the clandestine and sent both sliding down the stairs. When they stopped, the Turk roughly shoved the boy off. "What the hell are you thinking? Watch where you're running!" the clandestine yelled at the boy.

"Now, now. He was just too excited about the new Youth Center, isn't that right?" Rufus said as he continued down the stairs. The boy nodded emphatically. "Go on," the Vice-President urged. The boy scrambled up the stairs and disappeared into the building.

"What a nuisance," The Turk said as he moved to open the car door for Rufus. The blond smiled as he entered the vehicle.

"I thought he was rather cute," he said as he slid inside. Since when did AVALANCHE employ such cute children? It didn't really matter, but the hand off was a success. It made the whole day completely worthwhile.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Sephiroth stared out the window in his living room, eyes focused on the wasteland that surrounded Midgar. His workload had been sparse over the last two weeks, but he accredited it to Hojo's return to ShinRa Headquarters. In the week leading up to Hojo's quarterly report to the Executives, he had been in the labs for testing and check-ups. Since the report, he had been given the closest thing to a vacation he had had since Nibelheim. Zack rested on his couch, fatigue in his eyes. The ravenet had taken to escaping to Sephiroth's apartment when his home life became too much.

"Are you thinking about them again?" Zack asked, his voice tired.

"Genesis is still out there, but he hasn't made any moves in two years. Is he waiting for us?" Sephiroth mused. Zack frowned.

"I don't think he is. I think he's just building his forces again. He hasn't been getting any funding since Lazard defected," Zack replied. "You should sit down," he beckoned to the older man. Sephiroth obliged, letting the curtains fall over the window as he moved towards Zack. He slid into place next to the younger and pulled him close. Zack climbed onto the silveret's lap and began to suckle his earlobe.

"Don't you get enough at home?" Sephiroth protested mildly.

"That's different. I can't forget the feel of your dick," Zack breathed into the General's ear. "Aerith is great but sex with a woman isn't what I want right now." The younger man moved to Sephiroth's neck and began to lick and nip at the strong muscles. Sephiroth swallowed as he wrapped his arms around the younger man to support him. Zack was now twenty-one and had been a father for more than two years. The ravenet's increased workload and his restless child at home had taken a toll on Zack that Sephiroth never saw coming. While Zack had increasingly less time, the young man had not given up his sexual relations with Sephiroth. The General's arms had become his refuge from his wife and child, though Sephiroth could tell that Zack cared for both deeply.

The ravenet had filled out more in the last three years, gaining half an inch of height and even more muscle mass. The increased mako in Zack's system only fueled his new buff physic, though the increased amount of difficult missions also helped. AVALANCHE activities over the last two years had increased dramatically in response to a massacre in Coral. Zack and Sephiroth served as the face of suppression in the name of protecting civilians from dangerous terrorists.

Zack moved his lips to Sephiroth's and engaged the man in a gentle, sultry kiss. Slowly the younger slid his hands down the General's sculpted arms and to the button on his pants. The silveret slipped one of his hands into the back of Zack's pants as the younger worked at getting to Sephiroth's hardening cock. Zack moaned as the General began to circle the outside of his anus, then gently nudged his middle finger inside. The ravenet began rocking back onto Sephiroth's finger as he finally got through to the elder's dick. Zack began to play with the member as Sephiroth slipped a second finger inside. Sephiroth pulled the younger into a kiss with his freehand, eating Zack's moans as he found his prostate with his fingers.

When he pulled back, Zack removed his hand from Sephiroth's penis and placed his fingers at the General's lips. Sephiroth took them in willingly and began to play with them with his tongue, thoroughly coating them with saliva. Zack moaned, imagining that Sephiroth was instead giving him head. As the General slipped a third finger into Zack's ass, Zack removed his fingers and continued the hand job from earlier. With Sephiroth's dick successfully covered in slick saliva, Zack raised his hips and unfastened his pants. He wiggled until they were past his knees then readjusted himself over Sephiroth.

Sephiroth slipped his fingers from Zack, much to the younger's chagrin, and took hold of his cock. After pumping a few times, he stabilized Zack's hips with his right hand and helped lower the ravenet onto his throbbing member. Both moaned as the tip penetrated Zack. Zack continued to slowly lower himself as the General guided his hips. Once the younger had fully sheathed Sephiroth's cock, they paused, looking between their bodies at Zack's weeping dick. The General took Zack's member into his hand and started to lovingly stroke it as he began thrusting at a slow rhythmic pace.

Zack leaned into Sephiroth, wrapping one arm around the man's neck and letting the other fall to his nipple. Sephiroth groaned as Zack started to play with his nipple, and buried his head into the younger's neck. He began to gently nip at Zack's neck, careful not to leave any marks. Zack wasn't as kind—he began to nip and suck at the General's neck. Sephiroth readjusted the angle between them, thrusting deeper into his partner.

" _Fuck_ , Seph!" Zack moaned breathlessly as the elder began to hit his prostate. Zack tightened around Sephiroth, encouraging the elder to begin moving faster. Zack brought his other hand around the General's neck and focused on the friction between them. Sephiroth increased the pace at which he pumped Zack as he felt himself coming closer to release. Within a few moments, he pulled both of them into a strong climax, Zack crumpling against him as warm semen coated their stomachs. The two remained like that for several minutes, not willing to move.

"Would Cloud have been here too, if I hadn't murdered him?" Sephiroth mused forlornly once his breathing returned to normal.

"I don't know," Zack said, fatigue once again present in his voice. The ravenet lifted himself from Sephiroth, allowing the elder's flaccid dick and fluids to slide out. "I'm going to shower before I go home." Seeing his semen dripping down his subordinate's muscular thighs as he walked away reignited the General's desire, and he stood to follow, with the intent to follow up with a second round in the shower.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

"Zack! Breakfast is ready!" Aerith's soft voice cooed into the ravenet's ear. Zack groaned as he shifted in the bed. He had returned late after having a second round of sex with Sephiroth in the shower, then indulged Aerith in a bit of foreplay and cuddle time. He felt over sexed, a feat that surprised him because of his level of sexual activity in the past. The ravenet peeked at his wife with one eye, and Aerith giggled. She bent down and pecked him on the forehead. Zack rolled over to engage her more fully with a simple kiss on the lips. Aerith smelt of eggs, olive oil and bacon, causing Zack's stomach to growl. He forced himself out of bed and dressed in uniform. Aerith clanked around in the kitchen, cleaning up, as she waited for the SOLDIER to sit down.

Zack had this surreal sense that he was playing house. He couldn't say that he loved Aerith, but he certainly didn't hate her. Their entire relationship was strained and full of facades. At the time of their forced marriage, Zack had been an emotional wreck. He was still adjusting to the situation ShinRa had shoved him into, and was still adjusting to the reality that Cloud was dead and Aerith was pregnant. He had remembered her phone call while he had been Nibelheim, and assumed that what she had wanted to talk about was the pregnancy. Of course, as soon as Hojo had found out about the pregnant teen, he had had the Turks take her into the lab, where she remained until the pair was thrust in front of all of Midgar.

Zack's parents had been carted up from Gongaga especially for the wedding. They had prodded him about his relationship with Aerith and why they weren't informed of her before. Aerith, who genuinely cared for Zack, had been hurt greatly by the ravenet's distant and moody behavior for the first half year they were married. Then, his daughter was born. He was a father at barely nineteen, and felt the weight of his promiscuity on his shoulders. After Nibelheim, Zack remained celibate and hardly even communicated with Sephiroth outside of work. When his daughter was born, Hojo began urging the couple to produce a second child. Under the pressure, Zack turned to Sephiroth, and the two resumed their physical relations. It wasn't until four months after his daughter had been born that he was able to bring himself to hold Aerith. As far as he knew, Aerith was oblivious to Zack's affair. She continued to play the sweet, loving housewife, in a ploy that Zack suspected was aimed at easing Zack's stress and garnering more acceptance.

Though he was now a father, Zack hardly saw his daughter. Hojo had taken the child, which Zack lovingly named Claudia, and Aerith two months after birth. Aerith returned to Zack's apartment each night, but Hojo kept Claudia. The child remained in the ShinRa building, but spent most of her days in the lab. After Claudia was one year old, Hojo began to allow her to spend nights and Saturdays at home, but Zack's work schedule often interfered with any time he could bond with his child. Aerith abhorred being a guinea pig, and hated even more that her child was being probed and prodded. Zack was disgusted with Hojo in general, knowing of the man's dark secret.

What little time he was able to spend with his daughter lifted the stress from Zack's shoulders. At just over two years old, the girl was beginning to show a curious and rowdy personality not unlike Zack's. Sephiroth was utterly useless around the toddler, but Claudia seemed to have a love-hate relationship with the man. At times, Claudia would cry when the General walked into the room, at others she would yank the silveret's hair and giggle at the man's disgruntled glares. Zack feared that Hojo's experiments would lead to her being emotionally and socially stunted like the General.

But through it all, Zack still felt that everything was surreal, that the little scene of eggs and bacon on the kitchen table with Aerith humming a cheerful tune as she cleaned the pots was all an illusion. Inside, he longed to return to the days when Angeal would ruffle his hair and call him "Puppy", longed for the days eating lunch by Cloud's side, longed for the days when Sephiroth's eyes still had that faint sparkle of happiness.

Zack finished his meal, gave Aerith a goodbye peck to the forehead, and headed to Heidegger's office. The director had sent Zack a memo at the end of the previous workday requesting his presence first thing in the morning. Zack knocked on his superior's door at seven o'clock sharp, in part to annoy the man. Heidegger was not particularly a morning person, and was a fool to boot. The man had little common sense, and made Zack miss Lazard terribly. The fat, bearded man grumbled for Zack to make his entrance.

Adle stood next to Heidegger's desk, three unkempt boys about the age of ten crowded around him. A shiver went down the ravenet's spine at the sight of Cloud's father. Each of the boys squirmed awkwardly, slightly fearful and confused. Zack felt sorry for them having been left them alone with such frightening men.

"We're starting a new project within SOLDIER. These boys will be the test subjects of a new mako injection routine. Instead of giving it to them at the end of their training, we will be injecting them gradually over the course of their training to see if this provides us with stronger SOLDIERs. We would like for you to be their main mentor and trainer during their training period," Heidegger explained. Zack frowned. This was most likely one of Hojo's experiments. The power that Hojo wielded within ShinRa was sickening.

"Why do we need to change the way SOLDIERs receive mako?" Zack asked, not liking the idea at all.

"We feel that the current system might be too harsh on the average body. We will see if this method will allow for the boy's bodies to adjust to their new abilities more gradually," Heidegger explained. Zack felt like he was listening to bunch of shit. "Anyway, please take these boys under your wing, and show them around the SOLDIER cadet training facilities."

"Certainly," Zack agreed, not in any particular position to refuse his boss. "Come on, boys, let's get out of here," Zack said to the nervous children, flashing them a bright smile to calm them. The boys followed him down the hall, struggling slightly to keep up with Zack's normal pace.

"Uhm, excuse me, sir," one of the boys called out weakly. Zack stopped in his tracks, halfway to the main elevator. He turned around to face the boys.

"Yes?" he asked, repressing his fowl mood. The boys weren't at fault for ShinRa's ridiculous conduct.

"A-are you really Zack Fair?" the tallest one asked. Zack felt a laugh well up inside him and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yeah, I am," Zack said, a large grin taking over his face. All of the eyes looking at him grew wide in excitement.

"R-really?" the tallest cried again. "You're my hero! I collect all the stories about you in the newspaper! I get the older kids to read them to me every night!" Zack reached out and ruffled the boy's hair, enjoying the reaction. It was the first time he had met such an enthusiastic young fan. His feelings of appreciation were tinted by the reality of his actions, and sorrow for the poor boy that believed the propaganda that ShinRa spewed.

"I've always wanted to grow up and be a SOLDIER like you!" the shortest chimed, tugging on Zack's pant leg. "But all the older kids told me that a D-1 could never become one! I'll show them! I'll become a SOLDIER!" Zack felt that his smile was harder and harder to maintain the more the boys talked. ShinRa had plucked the boys from the slum and cleaned them up, only to possibly throw them out after a failed experiment. He turned to the third boy, who had ruffled blond hair. This one seemed disinterested in Zack after the man's identity was revealed.

"What about you?" Zack asked, trying to get the boy to talk.

"I didn't wanna come. I wanna go back and study mechanics," the boy said stubbornly. Zack chuckled. At least one of them didn't have dreams of working for ShinRa.

"I'll make sure you get mechanics training here then. You can become a mechanic for SOLDIER," Zack said, trying to lighten the boy's mood.

"Really?" the scruffy blond asked.

"Really," Zack replied with a smile.

"Thank you!" the boy squealed, excited that all his dreams weren't crushed by his sudden recruitment.

"You always seem to be surrounded by children these days." Sephiroth's voice drifted over the excited boy's, causing Zack to snap up. The boys, all startled, became quiet. Their eyes bulged in awe and fear as they realized who the tall man walking towards them was.

"Seph, why are you here?" Zack asked, confused.

"Did you get enough sleep last night? My office is on this floor," Sephiroth said, pointing at one of the branching hallways a little behind where Zack and the boy's had stopped.

"Right…" Zack said, feeling embarrassed that he'd been caught off guard. "I guess I was too distracted by Heidegger to remember that properly."

"Who are they?" the General asked, nodding at the boys.

"Heidegger put me in charge of mentoring and training them for SOLDIER. Something about testing a new mako regimen," Zack explained. The silveret nodded, his brows knitting together as he thought about the implication of Zack's words. Zack turned to the boys. "This is General Sephiroth. Please introduce yourself."

"Diggs, Sir!"

"Cable!"

"Rigby!"

"They look like they'll be fine SOLDIERs," Sephiroth said, reverting back to his scripted pleasantries. Zack knew that the older man was suspicious of the boys and their wellbeing. The boys' eyes began to shine at the compliment regardless.

"Come on, we better let Sephiroth go to work. He's a busy guy, and I have a lot to show you," Zack said, ushering the boy's down the hall and towards the elevator.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Monsters howled in the night air, in what Cloud guessed was some form of reorganizing a pack. Having made it a considerable distance from the reactor, Cloud was shrouded in the thick vegetation of the Nibel Mountains. He wasn't as familiar with the northern stretch of the mountains as he was with the ten miles surrounding the village, but he knew that he was only a few hours hike from the base of the mountains. He had been trekking for eighteen hours straight and refused to sleep until he could see the plains north of the mountain range. His body was getting sore from the climbing and perpetual motion. A few hours back he had almost fallen off a cliff after carelessly supporting himself on loose rocks and tore a hole in the ankle of his pants.

" _Go east_ ," Jenova's voice whispered in his mind. Cloud ignored the direction, knowing that she wanted him to go to Midgar. This was not the time for him to return. He wasn't ready to face ShinRa head on yet.

As Cloud pressed on into the night, the sound of the howling creatures grew closer. He adjusted his path in an effort to steer clear of the beasts, but he felt his efforts failed when the howling ceased and the occasional gentle crush of foliage caught his ear. Sensing one of the beasts quietly closing in, Cloud dashed forward, only to be cut off as one of the pack charged him from the side and caught him by the arm. The blond whipped the knife from his pocket and slit the wolf-like beast's throat. He pried the dead jaws from his arm and stood his ground as he waited for the bleeding punctures to close. If the beasts weren't going to leave him alone, then he would pelt them and sell their fur for a boat ticket. Four more monsters made a move to subdue the blond, but Cloud quickly slashed them down. When the five were dead he set about pelting them, as well as removing any other valuables from the bodies. Satisfied with his spoils, a good 1000 gil's worth of pelts and blood-covered coins, Cloud set out again.

" _Go east_ ," Jenova's voice whispered again, but Cloud continued to ignore her. Within a mile, the forest came to an abrupt end at a cliff that overlooked the northern plains. Cloud sighed as he looked around the landscape, his enhanced vision allowing him to pick out the paths leading down from the mountain. After deciding on an adequate path, he back tracked into the forest and selected a thicket to rest. He let his body sink into the grass and dirt, ear turned to the ground. Could he hear the lifestream again if he listened hard enough? It seemed that many of Hojo's experiments were focused on recreating the power and abilities of the Ancients. Ancients were supposed to hear the lifestream, but all Cloud could hear was Jenova's deceitfully soothing voice.

As Cloud drifted into a light sleep, images of the Nibelheim reactor filled his mind. Sephiroth stabbed him with Masamune, then proceeded to cut him in half. The silveret morphed into Hojo and kicked him in his internal organs. Zack slashed away the mad scientist, and put Cloud's body back together, only to tear open his scar from Masamune. The SOLDIER turned into Reno as he shoved his hand inside the teen's chest and gripped his heart.

" _Nobody cares 'bout a grunt like you, yo. Can ya even be called a grunt anymore? You're just a monster that needs to be destroyed, yo,_ " The dream Reno hissed with a smile on his lips. Cloud punched the redhead, only to wake when he realized that his fist had collided with a sharp rock.

The blond pulled his hand back and watched as the torn ligaments began to repair themselves. When all traces of the injury were gone, Cloud pushed himself back to his feet and set out again. He had maybe received an hour of sleep, but it was enough to keep going.


	19. Chapter 19

ShinRa was no place for a woman, Aerith decided as they unplugged her from the various monitors she had been hooked up to. Just how did those female Turks handle their jobs? The environment was suffocating. She wanted nothing more but to return to the church in the slums and raise her child there—with or without her husband. While she cared for Zack, she felt that he wouldn't be able to easily live a family life. Long years in ShinRa's grasp had done something to him. He was a completely different man after his mission to Nibelheim, even if he liked to hide it behind a smile. There were times when his eyes were so tired and lifeless that she felt like nothing could help him, yet he continued to grin and crack jokes.

Claudia screamed from across the lab, most likely at the pain from removing a sticky sensor. As soon as Aerith was free, she glided across the room and lifted the toddler up to console her. Compared to many of the horrors she had heard about and experienced before, Hojo and the other scientists treated her and Claudia rather humanely. Despite this, she felt a sense of disgust every time she stepped into the lab. They wanted to rape her cultural identity, to look for and take things that weren't theirs. They had imprisoned her and her mother in the very same labs years before because of the President's sick obsession with finding the Promised Land. Her childhood was a black scar because of it, and having to live inside the headquarters drove her insane. She couldn't hear the lifestream speaking to her. She couldn't hear anything so high in the sky. Would Claudia ever know the planet's voice? Would her daughter be subjected to the same horrible childhood that she had lived?

Since Aerith was able to spend much more time with the child, she took special care to tell Claudia all the stories that had been passed on to her. Hojo had set up an early education program for the child that focused on creating a child genius, but Aerith had little interest in letting Claudia turn into another Sephiroth. She greatly disliked the General; his very presence would send chills down her spine. Zack always argued with her that he was just misunderstood, that he was a kind soul and there was more to him than she was seeing, but she always felt that he had horrid genetics.

"Mama," Claudia cooed as she grabbed onto Aerith's long curly bangs. The child's hurt expression turned to cheer instantly as she began tugging and letting go of her mother's hair, enjoying the way it bounced.

"It's time to go home, now," Aerith said, leaning forward to rub noses with her daughter. Claudia giggled and grabbed her mother's face, placing a kiss on her nose. Aerith shifted the child to her hip and turned to leave the lab.

"Seph-eff!" Claudia called, as she saw the General enter the lab. Aerith frowned, and the General stiffened at the sight of the toddler. Aerith sped past the silveret, not wanting to even exchange pleasantries with him. Claudia wiggled to get at the man's hair as they passed, but Aerith stopped her. The faster they were back at the apartment, the better.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Sephiroth left the labs as soon as he was finished giving his scheduled blood sample to the lab. It was a routine that he had followed since he was a child—one that let Hojo monitor his health closely. Having encountered Aerith and Claudia left him bothered. Was that child really Zack's? It was something that Sephiroth wondered every time he saw the little girl. He felt there was little resemblance between the two aside from their rambunctious personalities. Regardless, he always felt a pang in his heart when the child was mentioned. Zack had, for whatever reason, named the girl with a name similar to Cloud's. It was most likely to remind him—both of them—of Nibelheim's events, and the stark reality that the grunt had died due to their failings. The thought that the child was of Ancient—of Cetra—descent deepened the pain in his chest. When he saw Claudia, the General's mind would always drift to Cloud and the events at Nibelheim.

Sephiroth exited the ShinRa main building and started walking to the far training fields. At the fence blockading the compound from the rest of the city, a recently constructed memorial glinted in the security lights. Sephiroth and Zack had fought for the construction of a memorial to the dead the previous year. They had given the excuse that it would be a morale booster, something to comfort the SOLDIERs and Infantry alike. The inscription dedicated the memorial to those who died in the War with Wutai, but for Sephiroth it was a grave marker for those he had lost since the War ended.

"Would things have turned out differently if I had been stronger?" Sephiroth asked the memorial, though in his head he was addressing Cloud. "Where would we be today if things had gone differently? I'm trying to change ShinRa, but as powerful as I am, I'm powerless to avenge you. Can you forgive me?" Over time, his memories of Nibelheim seeped back. The Cetra legends, Gast's initial experiments on Jenova, the records of Hojo and Hollander's horrific projects with the J-cells all slowly resurfaced. After remembering around half of the material, he understood why he had flown into a bitter rage. But that didn't change the fact that he had murdered Cloud.

Sephiroth stared at the memorial, hoping for some form of response. If only the planet would lift Cloud's replies to him. After a few minutes passed, Sephiroth sighed. He had waited long enough to do something about ShinRa. The projects that had created Genesis, Angeal, himself and the other SOLDIERs were ghastly. Now they were going to start a new experiment on boys from the slums? Sephiroth had made a point of getting information on the boys. Adle handpicked three Class D orphans. The children had had no choice, and were unwanted by society. The General felt that he could relate to them on the level that they were unwilling test subjects. Then there was the matter of Claudia and Aerith. As fellow Cetra, he felt a strong bond with them, even if the relationship between them was strained by the circumstances.

The silveret pulled his PHS from his pants pocket and dialed Tseng's personal line.

"Hello?" the Turk's voice answered.

"Genesis is still alive. I know he was reported dead, but I saw him three years ago in Nibelheim. We may have killed his known remaining clones, but I fear he is just laying in wait, rebuilding his forces. Would it be possible to send a Turk to investigate this matter?" Sephiroth asked, skipping the pleasantries.

"That is something of concern," Tseng said, though the tone he used sounded fake to Sephiroth. "I'll look into the matter personally, and get back to you." The Wutanese hung up the phone after saying that, forgoing the same pleasantries Sephiroth had. The General felt impressed that the head of the Turks would take the request personally. Something was going on with the Turks if Tseng had already guessed the General's intents.

Regardless, Sephiroth had decided to start making his moves.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Did the world hate him? What on Gaia had Zack done to deserve three child apprentices in addition to his normal workload? Zack inwardly cursed Heidegger as he filled out the forms about each boy's capabilities. Zack had spent the majority of the previous day showing the boys around and giving them a basic performance test. At that time he had taken extensive notes, but put off filling out the official forms for the instructors. After putting them to bed, he went to his office and worked the night through to do his usual deskwork managing the Third Class SOLDIERs. After a few hours sleep at his desk, he was finally filling out the official forms based on his notes. He wasn't lucky enough to have a secretary to run paltry errands for him like Sephiroth, but the General had given him permission to use him if Zack felt pressed for time. It was almost six A.M. and Zack really wanted to return to his apartment for a shower and food before picking up his apprentices at 7:30.

Frustrated with the forms, Zack scribbled over the empty boxes in large letters "See attached notes", stapled the notes to the forms and stood. He would hand the forms off to Sephiroth's secretary to deliver later that day. He boarded the elevator to go up one floor, and waited impatiently for the doors to open. The halls were deserted, as hardly anyone in ShinRa had the drive to be at work a full hour before they had to be. Much of the military staff spent the hour before work on the lower level gyms or outside in the fields, getting part of their daily training. Before Nibelheim, Zack had spent that time sleeping. After getting married, he usually spent that time with Aerith and Claudia before they all left the apartment. He knew that Sephiroth woke and began to train about five, forcing his secretary (who also often provided Sephiroth with his breakfast) to arrive at the office around six A.M. to get the General's affairs for the day in order.

Zack popped his head into the office without knocking. The secretary was indeed already at his desk sipping coffee as he looked over some document. A cloth wrapped box sat at the corner of his desk, waiting for the General to grab it on the way into his office. As Zack stepped further into the office, the secretary peered at him over the top of the document.

"Yes? What can I help you with?" the man asked.

"Can you please deliver these to the SOLDIER cadet trainers before lunch today?" Zack requested as he handed the forms over. The secretary looked over the forms briefly before chuckling.

"How like you," he said, referring to the attached notes. "I feel sorry for the instructors. I'll take them down when I go to pick up my lunch."

"Thanks a million!" Zack said, patting the man on the shoulder. The secretary shrugged away, not caring for extraneous physical contact. "You're a lifesaver!"

"Please, mention it to the General if you see him," the secretary said. Zack knew that Sephiroth had worked out some system of sexual favors with the man in exchange for helping Zack, but it didn't bother the SOLDIER. Sephiroth's level of sexual activity hardly changed upon their return from Nibelheim—though Zack couldn't say that the silveret was completely mentally stable. The General's only known regular sex partners were his secretary and Zack. Outside of those two, Sephiroth had taken to bringing young blond, blue-eyed men to bed for one-night stands. Zack suspected that this was a result of his obsession with Cloud. The General thought about him too often and seemed to search for the grunt wherever he went. This seemed to go as far as sleeping with men that just remotely resembled Cloud.

Zack gave the secretary one more word of thanks and left the office, intent on getting that shower. By the time Zack entered the apartment, Aerith was already up clanking around in the kitchen. Claudia was in the living room area, curled up on the couch sleeping. Zack slid into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Aerith's waist.

"You stayed out late," Aerith said, trying not to sound disappointed. The ravenet placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"I was babysitting kids all day. I wasn't able to get to actual work until they were in bed," Zack explained.

"They're increasing your work again?" Aerith asked critically. Zack knew she hated that he was hardly ever home.

"Unfortunately. I'm gonna grab a shower and then head back out after eating. I'mma have to baby sit for a while," Zack sighed. He turned Aerith to kiss her on the forehead, then pulled away.

"Please at least try to get some sleep sometime today," Aerith called after him.

As soon as Zack entered his bedroom he began to strip down. Once he was completely nude, he entered the bathroom and started the shower. As he waited for the water to warm, the ravenet peered at himself in the mirror. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he felt that he looked much more tired than usual. Maybe it was because he was alone and could relax his mask that he felt he looked so fatigued. He would have to put extra effort into his perky attitude to hide the strain from the kids and his other subordinates. The mirror fogged over, so Zack stepped into the spray. He barely let the water soak him before he grabbed the shampoo and began to clean himself. Within fifteen minutes he was mostly dry and in a clean uniform. The ravenet exited the bedroom and took a seat next to Claudia on the couch.

"Mmm, Daddy?" she mumbled as she opened her eyes.

"Yeah?" Zack hummed, smiling down at his daughter. The gently stroked her dark brown hair.

"Love ya," she mumbled, snuggling closer to her father's leg. At the words, Zack felt the tension melt from his muscles.

"Love you too, Claudia," Zack whispered as he leaned down to kiss her hair.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Reno whistled at the sight of five slain fiends, pelted and half eaten. This was Cloud's work, he was sure. While it appeared that other fiends had mauled the bodies, the killing wounds were definitely from a knife. Judging from the rate of decay, Cloud was long gone. They were behind him by at least ten hours. The blond was most likely out of the mountains, and headed towards the nearest town. Rude pushed through the brush and into the small clearing.

"Cloud?" Rude asked. Reno nodded, turning to head back to where they landed the helicopter.

"We'd have a better time of it lookin' from the air, yo," he said, pushing the brush back. Fifteen minutes later he was back in the pilot's seat, waiting for Cissnei. The brunette pulled herself in just as the redhead began contemplating giving her another call.

"So he's not in the mountains anymore?" she asked, strapping herself in.

"Right. He'll be pretty easy to spot if he's not reached a town, though," Reno said as he started the engine and began preparing for takeoff. As they lifted off the ground, Reno kept vigilant for the blond teen. Many small villages peppered the region, but he felt that Cloud would avoid them for a larger town. It was easier to hide where more people congregated, which meant that they were headed to Rocket Town.

The town had been home to the fledgling space program ShinRa had canceled soon after the Nibelheim incident and AVALANCHE's increased interference. The town still housed many of the employees that worked on the project, making the population of the town somewhere north of 5000 people. It was very rare to find populations greater than 5000 that weren't heavily controlled by ShinRa. Midgar's population was easily the largest on the planet with a whopping five million residents on the plate alone—approximately 600,000 for each of it's of its districts (though not all were residential) and 500,000 housed within the varying ShinRa complexes at the center. The Midgar slums were a cesspool of lower class, the exact population was hard to monitor because of various diseases and migration. Deaths were sometimes not reported for long stretches of times, and while it was hard to enter the plate without proper papers or IDs, the boundaries of the slums were much more fluid. ShinRa tended to estimate that the population under the plate ranged from four and six million at any given time. Junon followed as the second largest city with four million residents, including all classes and housing within a ten-mile radius of the actual enclosed city. ShinRa military made up about 300,000 of the residents, and other ShinRa employees constituted a third of the total population. Most villages had populations around 2000 or less, including Nibelheim.

Despite the large number of ShinRa employees at Rocket Town, the company did not regularly interfere with the residents. Almost all of the townspeople were phantom employees at this point—they remained ShinRa employees in title only, and followed their own agendas while waiting for new orders from headquarters. Because the area held little interest for the company, hardly any military was present. The lack of military would work in Cloud's favor, but Reno doubted that Cloud would be able to have much success actually staying in the town—the blond had no ID and was listed as deceased in the records. Rocket Town would still have access to the ID databases, and any misstep would be dangerous for Cloud.

After a little over an hour and a half of flight, the scenery began to vary, changing between forest and grasslands every few miles. Reno landed the copter a fifteen-minute walk outside Rocket Town. They would canvas the area on foot before entering the town.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Before entering the town, Cloud attempted to get as much blood and dirt out of the SOLDIER uniform as possible. Since leaving the mountains, the blond made a point of killing anything that came across his path and had accumulated enough wealth to procure a new weapon and bribe his way onto a ship. He didn't care about supplies at that point—just making it to Wutai. Once there, it would be much easier for him to procure items. As soon as Cloud felt a little more presentable, he entered the town. It was mid afternoon, and he could hear a helicopter in the distance. If ShinRa had caught his trail, he didn't have much time to spend in the town.

Upon entering the town, he searched for the weapon's shop. The merchandise was reasonably priced—the people in Rocket Town were all B, C, and D classes and the area wasn't as rich and wealthy as Midgar. Cloud ran into one simple problem, however—the only weapon in the shop was a shotgun. Cloud was excellent with the weapon, but as a SOLDIER he would be less conspicuous with a sword. The shop owner eyed him suspiciously. Cloud tried to ignore him as he inspected the rifle. It was a better quality than anything he had worked with at ShinRa. If it was the only weapon in town, then he would have to buy it.

"Can I help you?" the shop clerk asked, approaching Cloud.

"A-ah, yeah," Cloud said, a bit caught off guard by the man's approach. "How much is this shot gun?"

"What's a SOLDIER want with a gun?" the man asked.

"I'm on a mission in the area, and unfortunately my blade broke while I was fighting. I figure I can just snipe the targets out," Cloud lied as smoothly as he could.

"That damn AVALANCHE again, huh? This ain't no snipin' riffle, but I suppose that don't matter to a SOLDIER. It's 3100 Gil," the shopkeeper said.

"I'll pay you 5100 if you don't record this. It's actually kind of embarrassing that they disarmed me. If it gets back to headquarters…" Cloud continued to lie, hoping the shopkeeper would take the bait. The middle-aged man squinted at the teen then sighed.

"What the hell. Money's money. You got a deal," the man said. Cloud forced back his relief and pulled out his make shift wallet. He carefully counted out the freshly cleaned gil and paid the man. Half of his money was gone, but now he had a better weapon. He slung the riffle around his shoulder with his bag and made for the item shop, where he sold the pelts for another few hundred gil. After finishing his business at the shops, the blond decided to start looking for someone with a boat. The town was only a few miles from the ocean, so someone was bound to have a watercraft. Cloud headed farther into the town, towards the rusting rocket behind the town.

The houses were all fairly close together, and while the residents appeared to live a comfortable life, few looked rich enough to own what he needed. As he neared the outer edge of the town he came across a house with a large fenced yard. A small bi-plane was parked in the side yard, and a woman was in the front yard tending to the lawn. As it was the only form of long distance transportation that Cloud could find in the town, he decided to approach the woman.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Cloud said, cautiously stepping towards her. The woman looked up, a bit surprised to be addressed as such.

"Yes? How can I help you?" she asked, her speech closer to that of Midgar's than what he had heard mumbled around town.

"Is that plane operational?" Cloud asked, pointing to it. The woman looked back at the plane, then back to Cloud.

"It is, yes," she replied.

"Would it be possible for you to take me somewhere in that?" The woman's face grew suspicious at the question.

"I'm not the owner of it, so I can't," she said and turned away.

"Please ma'am! Can you let me talk to the owner?" the blond begged. The woman turned to him once again, making a face as if she couldn't make up her mind.

"You can try, but I don't think he'll say yes," She said. She opened the gate to the yard and led Cloud into the house. After seating him at the kitchen table she wandered off to another room. Cloud looked around the quaint room. Whoever lived here was at least a B class, but didn't seem to like gaudy décor. After a few minutes of waiting, a blond man in his mid to late thirties entered the kitchen and took one look at Cloud.

"Git out. I ain't helpin' no SOLDIER. Not after what ShinRa did fuckin' up my dream," the man snarled.

"Sir, please hear me out—" Cloud tried to reason. The man looked familiar, but Cloud couldn't quite place where they had met.

"I won't. Git!" the man yelled, pointing towards the door. Cloud kept himself calm and stone faced. He had to have met this man somewhere in Midgar.

"I won't go until you her me out," the teen persisted.

"What makes you think I got any sympathy fer you ShinRa bastards after you scrapped the space project! It's partly you fuckers' fault that hardly anyone's working here!" the man snarled. At the mention of the space project, the man's name flooded back to him. They had met in the slums!

"Cid, Class B2, I'm not with ShinRa anymore," Cloud pressed.

"The fuck you know my name?" Cid asked, caught off guard.

"We met four years ago in the slums of Midgar. You were drunk off your ass, but I know it was you," Cloud explained. The older blond squinted his eyes and got closer to the teen.

"You… You're that grunt boy, what's yer name?"

"Cloud," the younger replied.

"What're you doing dressed like a SOLDIER? Ain't you an Infantry man?" Cid asked, suspicious of the teen's clothes rather than his identity.

"I'm not with ShinRa anymore. A lot has happened in the last four years. Right now I'm on the run and need to get to Wutai," Cloud explained.

"Wutai? Why Wutai?"

"They'll get off my back if I'm there. The situation there is still delicate, isn't it?" Cloud said, starting to mix lies into his stories again. He didn't want to get Cid involved more than he had to. Whether the man helped him or betrayed him, Cloud didn't want to give Cid too much information. "I'll pay you 6000 Gil to take me over in your plane."

"I don't need yer money," Cid huffed.

"If you take it, you can write it off as taking a paying customer across if someone comes to question you," Cloud argued. The older blond remained quiet for a few minutes, contemplating the situation.

"I'll take you, but only 'cause ShinRa ain't got no business fuckin' up no one else's lives," Cid finally said.

"Thank you!" Cloud said, happy that he was able to secure his ride. "Can we leave right now?"

"Not quite yet. I gotta make a couple last minute tweaks 'fore we can leave," Cid said as he turned to leave the kitchin. "Shera! Git down here! We got work to do!"

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

As soon as the three Turks entered the town, they split up. They had agreed not to engage Cloud if they found him, but to notify the others and trail him instead. While Cloud was now officially labeled as Class S3, they did not know the extent of his abilities or his mental state. If possible, they had to get him to talk, rather than attack. Cissnei had taken the far side of the town. She carefully examined each house and yard for any sign of the blond. As she made her way deeper into the town, she spotted a plane. Cissnei quickly abandoned the other houses and headed for the plane, stopping a few houses down. A couple was working under the hood of the plane. She tried to peer over the gate and through the windows, using pocket sized binoculars. She caught a glimpse of a blond in a SOLIDER uniform. As she lowered her binoculars, she pulled out her phone. Reno and Rude joined her five minutes after receiving the text message.

"So he's planning to fly?" Reno asked to no one in particular. The redhead lifted his binoculars to his eyes, licking his lips. He could make out Cloud's spiky hair through the kitchen window. He was relieved that they had finally caught up to him, but nervous that he would escape again. Reno turned back to the others. "How do ya wanna go about this?"

"I say the best course of action would be for Cissnei to go the front door to speak to the couple while Reno and I circle around the house to cut off any other escape routes," Rude suggested. Reno and Cissnei nodded in agreement. Cissnei straightened her suit jacket up a bit and was about to step out from their stakeout point when all three of their PHSs buzzed. Each whipped it out and checked the message.

"Fuck, yo! Really? They couldn't have waited just a little longer to deploy?" Reno wailed. Tseng had sent a message outlining Heidegger's newly deployed containment squad.

"This only means that we have to get to him even faster. I'm going," Cissnei said before she stepped out. She smoothly crossed the distance to the couple's house. By the time she had arrived they had closed the hood and reentered the house. She pushed the gate open and approached the door. After knocking, she watched the plane while she waited for the door to open. After a bit of shuffling around inside, a woman opened the door.

"Yes? How may I help you?" the woman asked. Cissnei recalled the name on the mailbox and the man's previous involvement in the space program.

"I'm here representing ShinRa Eletric Company today. We're thinking about restarting the space program and I was hoping to speak with Mr. Highwind today. We would like him to return to the project," Cissnei lied smoothly. The woman gave her a skeptical look.

"I haven't heard anything about them restarting the program," she said.

"We're still in the consideration stages. Cid Highwind was one of the central figures in the project, so if we are able to win him over, the Space Exploration program will have a better chance of getting reapproved." The woman's look did not change.

"Shera, who is it?" a gruff voice from inside the house called.

"A woman from ShinRa. She says they might restart the program," Shera called back.

"Well what're ya waitin' for? Let 'er in!" the man called back. Shera stepped aside and let Cissnei step into the house. The brunette looked around the home carefully.

"It's a quaint place you've got here," she said.

"Thank you," Shera responded as she ushered the young woman into the kitchen. The only person in the kitchen was Cid, and all the exits to the house were sealed. It was as if Cloud had disappeared.

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

Cloud waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark of the cellar before he started moving. Since receiving the J-cells he had developed the same super sight that all SOLDIERs possessed. As the shapes began to become more defined, Cloud began moving about. The cellar was small, but Cid had designed it as a last resort escape hatch. Cloud easily found the door to the outside of the house and pushed it open. Light flooded the cellar, temporarily blinding the blond. The teen stayed low to the ground as he climbed the stairs out. Dashing towards the plane, he kept his eye out for any other Turks. He knew they didn't work alone, and he was sure that he was a dangerous enough target that more were on the case than usual.

When Cloud reached the plane, he opened the cargo hold in the bottom and crawled inside. His body was just small enough to make the tight space bearable. After closing the hatch, he waited for Cid to return to the ship. After five minutes there was a bang at the door and it popped open. An electro-mag rod slid into the compartment and stopped just short of Cloud's face.

"Come out quietly and don't make a fuss, yo," Reno's voice drifted in. Cloud frowned. "We don't wanna hurt ya, just wanna talk, yo." Cloud didn't believe the redhead's words at all. He grabbed the base of the rod, ignoring the electricity that flowed into him, and pulled it in towards his stomach. This caused Reno to stumble forward and knock his head on the plane. With Reno's upper body blocking the entryway, Cloud took the opportunity to knee the redhead in the face several times. When Reno released the rod and stumbled back, Cloud swung out of the cargo hold. The blond grabbed Reno by the collar as soon as he caught his balance and punched him.

Cissnei exited the house, restraining Cid's arms behind his back. She had received a text moments earlier that Reno had cornered the blond. When she exited the house, she found Cloud punching the redhead. Rude was just arriving as well and was trying to position himself where Cloud couldn't see him. The blond slammed his head into the redhead's and let Reno go, leaving the Turk to fall to the ground unconscious. Cloud stood still for a moment before turning to Cid and Cissnei.

"You can take her right?" the younger blond asked the older. Cid nodded and Cloud turned to face Rude's direction. Cid threw himself backwards, catching Cissnei off guard and causing both to stumble back. She lost her grip on one of his hands and Cid used the opportunity to hit her in the neck and temporarily stun her. Freed, the older blond made a run for the Little Bronco. He climbed the side and settled himself in the cockpit, starting the engine as soon as he was settled.

Rude abandoned any idea of a surprise attack as soon as Cloud turned towards him. He lunged foreword, hoping to catch the teen. Cloud ducked and punched him in the stomach. Rude recoiled and swung his mag-rod down to connect with the blond's side. Cloud pulled back after getting shocked, but quickly moved in again, aiming at Rude's head. Rude blocked with the mag-rod, but Cloud stopped short and rotated his body to finish with a kick to the man's side. The force caused Rude to stumble, allowing Cloud to get in close and punch the elder in the stomach and throat. The blond finished the Turk off with a well-aimed chop to the neck. Rude dropped to his knees, vision fuzzy. Cissnei was just getting back to her feet, but Cloud didn't bother with her. Instead he ran for the plane, slammed the cargo hatch closed and climbed the side. As soon as Cloud crammed himself into the one passenger cockpit, the plane pulled off from the ground, floating straight up before flying off.

Cissnei quickly moved to Reno's side and began gently slapping his face to wake him. The redheaded Turk's face was completely black and blue with blood dripping from his obviously broken nose and several cuts on his face. When he finally opened his eyes, he reflexively brought his hand to his nose and moaned.

"Fuck my  _nose_ , yo," he moaned as he rolled over. Cissnei pulled his hand back and grabbed his nose. In one fluid motion, she yanked it back into place.

"We've got more important things to worry about than your nose," she said as she pulled away from Reno. She pulled a handkerchief from her pants pocket and cleaned the redhead's blood from her hand. Reno slowly stood and looked at the area where the plane used to be.

" _Fuck_ ," the red head yelled. "Any idea where they're heading?"

"No," Rude said as he shoved a hi-potion into Reno's chest. "But we better get back to the chopper."

"Fuck my life, yo," Reno whined before he chugged the medicine.


End file.
